Definitely not the Cleavers
by parmakai66
Summary: What really went on inside the Petries house in Aracadia? The real reason to be afraid to go down in the basement and inside your closet when the lightbulb is burned out!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: No Infringement intended. I don't own the characters. I'm just borrowing them for a moment. I'm not making any money and I don't have any so don't sue me.

A/N: This is my take on the missing scenes from Arcadia. By my estimation, in the episode, Mulder and Scully spent at least ten days in the house. (Give or take a few) This episode falls in line with my other two stories: What's normal to me and Trust & the Fowl and contains my original characters: Nester and Driscoll introduced in the first.

I rated this story M … because later chapters will get kinda dicey.

Definitely not the Cleaver's

Monday

Mulder looked at his watch and made a mental note of the time, 5:59 pm, exactly one minute to the 6 o'clock move in deadline. He stood in the doorway next to Scully with his hand in the small of her back and watched his new neighbors' wave good bye. As the moving truck pulled away, Scully retreated into the interior of the house. Mulder shut the door and followed her in.

"Oh, yea, nothing weird going on around here," he commented as he locked the door and walked into the living room. "Ooo wait, you didn't let me carry you over the threshold." Mulder looked around the room searching for Scully. _Man this place is a mess_, he thought as he caught sight of her in the corner by the fireplace. She walked toward him with a mischievous grin on her face.

"You ready?" Scully slipped out of her coat and threw it over a box behind her.

_Am I ready? Babe you're making my dick hard. _"Yeah, lets get it on, honey," Mulder answered with a sly smile.

"All right then," Scully replied and handed him a set of latex gloves. She looked at him with arched eyebrows and smirked slightly.

_Oh, that's how we're going to play it?_ Mulder thought as he looked at the gloves. _This is going to be one long assignment._

An hour later, Mulder walked through the kitchen and turned the water on at the faucet. He looked into the cabinets absent-mindedly for a glass before remembering that they hadn't unpacked anything yet. _Crap,_ he thought as he looked around at the boxes. He hesitated for a moment, shrugged his shoulders and leaned over to suck down the water as it ran from the faucet. When he was finished, he climbed up on the kitchen counter and leaned back against the cabinets. He was sweating and his pink Izod shirt was dirty from his search under the house in the crawl space. He picked up the case file and started paging through the reports again. The local police department had no forensic evidence from the house or the missing home owners, the Kline's. By the time the police were tipped off about the case, someone had very effectively _'cleaned'_ the place. _They weren't kidding either,_ Mulder thought as he read through the missing person report again.

"Did you find anything?" Scully asked as she came down the stairs.

"No, Laura, not even cobwebs," Mulder replied as he looked up from the file.

"Rob and Laurie Petries?" Scully questioned him. "Mulder if we ever go under cover again I get to choose the names." She arched her eyebrows at him.

"Don't blame me, I didn't pick our names," Mulder said as he set the file to the side and closed his eyes.

"Who did?"

"Skinner I guess. It was part of the real estate deal to purchase the house." He opened one eye and looked at her. She was staring at him in disbelief. "The realtor that had the listing is exclusive to the home owner association, so the San Diego police had a third party investor purchase the house under a false name."

"And the investor picked Rob and Laura Petries?"

Mulder shrugged. "I didn't ask any questions. I'm just trying to figure out what we're doing on this case. This is our first catch since we've been reassigned to the X files. But it's not an X file."

"Sure it is. It's unsolved. What do you want, aliens, tractor beams?" Scully stared at him trying to read his thoughts.

Mulder was quiet as he looked down at his hands. He turned his head to her. "Wow! I get it, you just want to play house again like we did in Galena," he winked at her. "Woman, get over here and make me a samwich," he joked with her mocking Homer Simpson.

Scully rolled her eyes but didn't respond as the doorbell rang in the background. She pulled her latex gloves off and threw them at Mulder's head as she walked over to answer the door.

"Did I not make myself clear?" Mulder joked again. He felt his stomach growl and watched her walk away from him. "No, seriously Scully … I'm starving!" he called to her as she walked toward the door. "We don't have any food."

"Eat the welcome basket," she called as she neared the door.

Mulder could hear Scully laughing as she answered the door. He listened to her conversation with Mike and rolled under the cabinet on the breakfast bar to the hallway by the stair, where the welcome basket was resting on a chair. He tore the plastic wrap off and eyed the contents carefully. _I'm not eating that, _he thought as he eavesdropped on the conversation. _Not without running a lab analysis on it first, it's probably poisoned. _

As he stood there, he scanned around the living room and the ceiling when something on the ceiling fan caught his eye. "What the?" he mumbled to himself and walked across the room and stared up at the fan. "Is that?" He walked over to the "china" box on the breakfast bar, fished out an evidence bag and another latex glove and then walked back to the living room.

Mulder looked for something to stand on spotted the coffee table hidden under a box. He uncovered it and pulled it over directly under the fan and climbed up on it. As he was inspecting the fan blade, he heard the front door shut behind him and the dishes clink together as Scully walked down the hallway with the box in her arms.

"Mulder, why does everybody run…"

"The name is Rob," he interrupted her.

"What are you doing?" she asked as she set the box on the floor.

"We'll it looks like whoever cleaned this place missed a spot," Mulder commented as he scraped the blood off the fan blade and put it in an evidence bag. He stepped down from the coffee table and handed the bag to Scully. "Does this look like blood to you?"

Scully stared at the bag and held it up to the light. "Yeah, but how did it get up there?"

"Good question," Mulder replied as he took the bag out of her hand. "Maybe I'll have an answer for you after we get something to eat." He walked back into the kitchen and slid the evidence bag into the file folder.

"Mulder, is that all you can think about?" Scully asked as she followed him into the kitchen. "Look at all the unpacking we have to do."

"Yeah … exactly where did all this crap come from? It didn't look like that much at the furniture store," Mulder asked as he looked around the living room at the boxes again.

"It's four rooms of furniture Mulder, Living, dining and two bedrooms with all accessories. The place has to look like we are living here…which means we have to unpack it," Scully remarked and then bit her lip.

"I thought the movers were going to help out with that," Mulder muttered as he leaned against the counter. _Whew, that's going to be a lot of work for just the two of us and on an empty stomach?_ he thought as looked over at her. She had a guilty look on her face.

"That was before the neighbors informed me it was a violation of the CC&R's if the truck was parked on the driveway after 6 pm," she remarked slowly. "So I, ummm … told them to leave."

"You told them to leave?" Mulder questioned her. Of course he knew that they had left, since he watched them drive down the street. He just hadn't put two and two together to understand that she had sent them away. "Did you consult me on that?"

Scully stammered trying to justify her actions. "Mulder, you watched the truck pull out of the driveway. You could have stopped them." She stared at him for a second and watched him wrinkle his forehead quizzically. She started laughing nervously. _Oh, shit! He's pissed, _she thought as his stomach protested loudly from his hunger. _He's not kidding about being hungry either._ "Okay, what about a truce? I'll go out for food, if you'll start putting things away."

Mulder arched his eyebrows at her. "That is not a truce, Dr. Scully," he mused. "That means I do all the dirty work while you sneak out the back door." He backed her into the breakfast bar as he spoke and he was surprised that she let him. When she couldn't move anymore, he rested his arms on the countertop, on either side of her body, so she was pinned within his embrace. "How about we go get dinner and snoop around the neighborhood together," he whispered into her ear.

His hot breath on her neck sent a shudder down her spine. It had been weeks since they were intimate in Galena and despite they had seen each other nearly every day, she missed the warmth and the love they shared. Scully never had doubted Mulder's love for her and she knew he would always have her back. It was the whole Diana fiasco that had messed everything up between them. Mulder was right when he said her attack on Diana was personal. Scully was jealous of Diana and threatened by the encroachment on her territory… specifically Mulder and Cassandra Spender. Since their fight in the loft that night, neither of them had broached "the fowl" topic again, they had just gone about their lives … sans the intimacy …. like nothing had ever happened. But now … now she would be forced to deal with her emotional side, the urges she felt for him as his close proximity to her sent tingles up her spine.

"Scully?"

She looked up into his eyes as his voice pulled her out of her thoughts. "Yeah, Mulder," she stammered. "Dinner and snooping sounds good." She put her hands on his chest and pushed him back firmly. "But you'll need to change first. You stink."

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Still don't own a thing … just borrowing it for my own perverse pleasure.

A/N: Sorry for any typos ... I was having issues with the editor & my internet connection. Thanks for the reviews!

Chapter 2

Tuesday

Mulder rolled off the couch and stretched his arms over his head as the morning sun hit him in the face. He stumbled around the furniture and stubbed his toe on the corner of a box. "Dammit!" he mumbled as he winced in pain. He hobbled into the washroom off the kitchen and stared at his reflection in the mirror, noting the dried drool mark on the corner of his lip. He turned on the faucet on and splashed cool water on his face. He looked around the small room in search of a towel and found nothing. _Why isn't anything unpacked?_ As the water droplets ran down his arms, he reached for the toilet paper roll and pulled a length of it off and patted his face dry with it.

"Geezus, I stink," Mulder muttered under his breath as he caught a whiff of himself. He tossed the wadded up toilet paper in the toilet bowl and walked out of the washroom and headed up the stairs to the spare bedroom.

He walked into the room and found the bed in the same condition as he had left it the night before … barely assembled. Scully had delegated the task of 'assembling' the furniture to him. He had put the frame together and threw the box spring and mattress on top of it, then left Scully to dress it and unpack his clothes. Mulder walked to the closet and pulled the door open, expecting to find his clothes hanging inside, but was surprised to find the closet bare. Mulder scanned the room for his suitcase and found it missing from the room.

"Where are my clothes?" Mulder muttered aloud. He glanced at the doorway with a perplexed expression on his face and then shut the closet door. He walked down the hallway to the master bedroom and quietly entered the room. He spotted Scully asleep on the bed, dressed in the same jogging pants and t-shirt that she was wearing the night before, lying on the mattress pad and curled up around a pillow and the comforter.

Mulder smirked as he looked at her sleeping soundly on the bed. He walked quietly past her to the walk in closet and carefully pulled the door open. His clothes were hanging in closet along side hers. _That's interesting,_ he thought. _I didn't get the impression that she wanted to share with me last night_. When they were unpacking and assembling the furniture the previous evening he had casually mentioned that they could save time and space by sharing the master bedroom and the bed, but Scully had shot him the 'death look' in response. He had retreated downstairs to make himself useful shortly there after, mostly because he was mad at himself … for bringing it up, for being a dick to her over the Diana fiasco, and for baring his soul to her in Galena. Now however, he was amused that she had hung his clothes in her closet anyway.

Mulder closed the door quietly and walked into the bathroom. He found his toothbrush on the vanity, right next to Scully's. He picked it up, squeezed the green gel onto the brush and stuck it in his mouth. As he brushed his teeth, he opened the medicine cabinet door looking for his deodorant, and discovered all of his toiletries arranged neatly next to hers on the small interior shelves.

After he finished in the bathroom, he walked back into the bedroom and pulled open the top drawer of the dresser looking for his socks. The top drawer on the left contained Scully's panties, bras and socks. His face flushed at the sight of them and he felt a rush of excitement swirl through him. He longed to pick something up and bury his face in it, but he held back for fear that Scully would wake up and call him a pervert. He closed the drawer, pulled up the one next to it and found his own under garments. He grabbed a pair of socks and pushed the drawer shut.

He heard a soft moan in the background as he shut the drawer and he looked over at Scully. Mulder stepped around the bed and braced his hand on the headboard to look closely at her sleeping form, trying to gauge whether she was sleeping or playing possum with him. He could tell from her breathing that she was asleep and he was fairly certain that she was dreaming as her eyes moved beneath her lids. As he watched her lying on the bed, he felt another rush roll over himself and knew she was arousing him again. He fought the urge to lie down next to her and wrap his body around hers. He had hinted to it the night before and her cold stare response had quietly squashed any hint of romance on this assignment. Standing here staring at her wasn't helping quell his feelings for her. He pushed himself back from the headboard and was turning to retreat from the room just as Scully rolled over on the bed, slightly arching her back and neck upward.

"Ohhh, Mulder," she mumbled breathlessly. "Ohh, fugme Mulder."

Mulder looked down at the love of his life and watched her mouth move in the motion of a kiss. Her body was clearly illuminated in the early morning light and he could see that she was still sleeping. He watched as she slid her hand under the waist band of her sweatpants and move to the mound between her legs. He could see her fingers moving against the fabric of the pants and he knew she was working the folds near her bud. He felt his arousal build and looked down to confirm the tent effect in his sweatpants.

Mulder bit his lip to control himself and closed his eyes as he imagined himself against her body, thrusting himself deeply into her core. He looked down at her again and caught sight of her just as her head tilted back on the pillow and she gasped out his name. The image of her climaxing as he hovered over her was etched solidly in his mind and he retreated from the room into the hallway and down the stairs to the kitchen. He wanted to be the one pleasing her and not just in her dreams. Although the thought of watching her peaked his interest, he could barely contain himself and knew it was better to just retreat. Mulder walked to the breakfast bar and rested his hands on the cool granite countertop, taking slow deep breaths in weak effort to wash _those_ thoughts out of his mind. When he couldn't clear his head, he walked into the washroom and quietly shut the door.

As soon as he was in the small room, he pulled his arousal from his sweats. He stroked himself firmly and pulled the memory of making love to Scully from his memory bank. The sensory images of the softness of her skin against his, her lips brushing lightly across his face, and the warm wet core of her center beckoning him to push deeper inside her filtered past his eyes in slow motion. He remembered the feeling of closeness as she rode him in the hot tub, while he slid his hands over her hips and across the small of her back. The tight feeling on his sensitive tip as he took her from behind and drove his arousal home toward the tattoo on her back. Mulder felt sweat running down the side of his face and heard his breathing become more ragged in his throat. His stokes had quickened and his grip tightened as that final image took him over the edge. He gritted his teeth and whispered for Scully as the life drained out of him.

Mulder splashed cold water on his face and wiped his face dry with the bottom of his shirt. He opened the door and spotted his gym shoes in the hallway. As he pulled on his socks and shoes thoughts of Scully still filtered through his mind and hindered his movements. He finally had both shoes tied and walked to the garage entrance. He hit the opener as he pulled the door shut behind him and walked through the garage, stretching as he emerged onto the driveway. After a few moments Mulder jogged down the drive way and out onto the street for his morning run.

* * *

Scully stepped out of the shower and wrapped her hair in a towel as she slipped into her robe. She reached for the lotion on the vanity and began to smooth it over her legs while the memory of her early morning dream danced in her mind. The image from her dream of an intimate encounter with Mulder was so real, so lifelike … if she hadn't of known better she could have sworn he was standing right next to her. But when she awoke she found herself alone ... the reality of it only being a dream leaving a bitter aftertaste. 

It was her fault that she was sleeping alone ... at least for last night anyway. It certainly wasn't for Mulder's lack of trying. He had put the idea out there, she was the one that shut it down. She wanted to say yes and wake up snuggled in his arms, but her stubborn side held her back. She was still upset with him about the night of their fight in the Gunmen's loft. The fight had boiled down to a matter of trust between them … and he had chosen Diana over her. Of course, her evidence that he had chosen Diana after their fight was all circumstancial, but he couldn't deny that he had run to her arms however. When Scully was looking for Mulder after Agent Spender asked for their help, she found him with Diana. Scully could only imagine what they were doing together and her jealousy fueled imagination drew a picture of them two of them between the sheets.

The doorbell rang loudly in her ear and she jumped as it startled her. "Shit!" she mumbled under her breath as she wiped her hands in the towel. She listened for movement from Mulder in the living room, but heard nothing.

"Mulder?" she called out to her partner as the bell rang again. "Are you going to get that?" There was no answer from downstairs. Scully walked to the top of the stairs and called out to him again. "Muld… Rob? Whatever you name is?" There was still no response. "Geezus christ," she mumbled under her breath as she pulled her robe closed and tied the sash. She walked down the stairs and looked around the kitchen and living room, half expecting to catch Mulder sleeping on the couch, but both rooms were empty. "Where the hell is he?" she asked aloud as she walked to the door and pulled it open. Mulder was standing on the stoop, his t-shirt drenched in sweat.

"What are you doing out there?" Scully asked him with an annoyed tone to her voice.

"I went for a run," he remarked as he stepped past her into the foyer. "Why did you shut the garage door?" He eyed her body covered in that robe of hers and wondered why she always covered herself up with that frumpy looking thing.

"I didn't shut the door," she answered and closed the door behind her. "I just got out of the shower."

Mulder arched his eyebrows at her and smiled. "I see that." He noticed that the towel was coming loose from her head wrap and caught it just as it began to fall. He pulled the towel off her head and untangled her hair from it. The wetness of her hair darkened it slightly making her blue eyes stand out more clearly.

Scully looked into his eyes and noticed the perplexed expression on his face. "What?" she asked him.

"You really didn't shut the garage door?"

"No, I didn't even know that you were gone," she answered. "I woke up and jumped right in the shower. Why?"

Mulder walked into the kitchen and pulled open one of the utility drawers under the breakfast bar. The remotes for the doors were sitting inside the drawer and he picked both up and laid them on the counter. "Because that tells me that someone knows the security code to the keyless entry pad," he replied and looked up at her.

"Not necessarily. Someone could have activated the door control from the pad by the interior door and then ran under the door as it was coming down," Scully remarked crossing her arms at her chest.

Mulder shook his head. "No, the door has a safety device on it, when something breaks the sensor beam the door automatically goes back up."

"Maybe they jumped the beam?" she argued.

"Well, they would've had to jump about five feet to clear it. There are two sensors. One is about 4 inches off the floor and the other is about four feet from the floor," Mulder said as he held his hand out to show the distance to her. "In order to clear the beam, the minute the button was activated, he or she would have had to dive from the interior door to the driveway." He shook his head. "So unless they had some magical talent, it's not likely. Unless…."

"Unless what?"

"Unless they activated the panel by the door and then left through the front door."

Scully shuddered at the thought of a stranger in the house while she was in the shower. Her response was visible to Mulder as he watched her face flush at the thought of it. "I liked your first theory better," she replied slowly.

Mulder walked around the kitchen counter and headed up the stairs to the master bedroom. Scully followed behind him and stole a quick look at his butt in front of her on the stairs. "Why don't we change the code?"

"Naah, I think we need to leave it for now … it might be part of the mystery of this case," Mulder answered as he walked into the spare bedroom pretending to head for the closet.

"Ah, your clothes aren't in there," Scully blurted out as he stepped into the room.

Mulder turned to look at her. He donned a perplexed expression and quizzed her a little, even though he already knew where his clothes were. "What? Don't tell me you didn't unpack them?"

Scully bit her lip and then started to giggle. "I hung them in the closet in the master bedroom."

Mulder held her gaze for a moment and then stepped closer to her in the doorway. He reached out and ran his hand across her cheek pushing a strand of wet hair out of her eyes. "I thought you didn't want to do that?"

"I never said that," she replied as her breath caught in her throat and his touch made her neck hairs stand on end.

"Okay," Mulder replied slowly trying to read the meaning in her eyes. She looked conflicted, but he decided to let it drop for now. _There will plenty of time to work through that in the next few days_, he thought as he turned to walk into the master bedroom. "Are you done in the bathroom?"

"For now."

"When I get done with my shower we need to go to the grocery store and stop at the field office to pick up the other rental car," he said as he pulled his t shirt off in front of her and threw it in the hamper. He made a mental note as he noticed her eyes dilate but acted like he hadn't noticed. He walked to the dresser and then hesitated for a moment, not wanting to give himself away for knowing that all of his clothes were unpacked in her room. "Are my?" he started as he pointed at his chest.

"Right side," Scully choked out blinking several times. _Damn he looks great with his shirt off_, she thought as he opened the drawers of the dresser retrieving a clean pair of boxers and socks. "Do you want some coffee?" she stammered nervously realizing she needed to escape from the room before she attacked him.

"Yeah, Laura … that would be great," Mulder teased her as he walked into the bathroom and pulled the door closed.

* * *

Mulder parked the minivan at the end of the driveway in front of Big Mike's house and looked up at the man who was power washing the sidewalk in front of the door. 

"Isn't that our friendly neighbor?"

"Looks like him from the back," Scully replied looking up at him.

"What'd'ya think he's doing over here?" Mulder asked unbuckling his seatbelt. He turned and looked at Scully. "Maybe he'll cut our grass if we just let it grow."

Scully rolled her eyes and unbuckling her belt as well. "Don't forget my name _ROB_!" she quipped as she opened her door and stepped out of the vehicle. She opened the back door of the van and picked up the box of dishes that belonged to Mike and walked around the front of the van.

Mulder took the box from her and carried it to the front door of Mike's house. Winn Shroeder, their neighbor, was power washing the front steps and was oblivious of their approach until he turned around and sprayed Mulder's shoes.

"Oh, Rob… Laura. I'm so sorry!" he stammered as he shut the water nozzle off. "Good morning! How was your first night?" he asked nervously.

"Oh it was wonderful!" Mulder replied watching Winn's expression. "We just spooned up like little baby cats. Didn't we…" _I forgot her name! _"Honeybunch?" Mulder smirked. _He's definitely hiding something,_ Mulder thought to himself.

"Sure, poopie head," Scully replied as she glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. _He forgot my name,_ she smiled. "Are we in the right place Winn? I thought this was Big Mike's house."

"It is," Winn replied flatly. "I'm just helping him out while he is out of town on business."

"What kind of business?" Scully questioned him. "I thought he was a Vet."

"I don't know," Winn replied and nervously shifted the weight on his feet. "Veterinarian business? I just know he is gone for weeks at a time," Winn said shrugging his shoulders.

Mulder looked around the yard and then started to walk toward the front stoop. "I'll just put these on the …." He was cut off by Winn as the man stepped in front of him to block Mulder's movement to the door.

"How about I just take that," Winn said as he snatched the box out of Mulder's hands. "It just looks tidier than leaving them on the porch."

Mulder stood back and nodded his head. "More aesthetically pleasing?"

"Right," replied Winn with a fake smile plastered on his face. "Hey, why don't you two join Cami and I for dinner tonight? We eat early … about six."

"Sure," Scully replied looking over at Mulder. He put his hand around her waist and they turned to walk down the sidewalk toward the van.

"There sure isn't anything weird going on around here, honey bunch," he whispered in her ear as they headed down the sidewalk. Mulder stopped for a second and looked back toward Winn who was still standing on the sidewalk. "Oh, Winn…. About my basketball hoop. Who did you say I needed to talk to about that? Mr. Gogolak? Where would I find him?"

"7468 Watercrest Drive," Winn replied flatly as he stared Mulder down.

"Thanks Winn. We'll see you tonight at dinner." Mulder turned and walked back to the van.

Scully climbed in on her side and clicked her seat belt in. She looked over at Mulder as he shut the door. "If looks could kill Mulder, you'd be dead," she said as she arched her eyebrows.

"Did you notice the blood on the sidewalk as we walked up?" Mulder asked her as he put the van in gear and drove down the street.

"It was splattered on the side windows next to the door too," Scully replied.

"Good eye," he remarked. "Our friendly neighbor was a little too nervous about our visit. Killer returns to the scene of the crime?"

"Good thing we're going to the office," Scully said as Mulder wheeled the van out the front gate of the community. "We can do some background checks on our neighborhood."

* * *

"Dammit!" Scully growled as she threw the cell phone down on the seat next to her. "Why do people have their phone numbers unlisted?" she mumbled to herself. Their evening plans had been changed at the last minute by the Assistant Director. Mulder had called to inform her the A.D. was in town and wanted to discuss the case with them. Changing plans meant that Scully had to bow out gracefully from their dinner plans at the Shroeder's. 

She looked into the back seat of the van and eyed the endless bags of groceries. She took a deep breath and pursed her lips. "Why do I always get stuck doing the dirty work?" she said aloud to no one. "Get the groceries, unpack the suitcases, clean the bathroom, and cancel with the neighbors… aghhhh!" she screamed in frustration.

Scully turned the van into the community and pulled up to the gate. She leaned out the window to enter her access code into the security pad and realized she was about four inches short of reaching the box. "Crap!" she cursed under her breath as she slammed the gear shift into park and opened the door to step out of the vehicle. She entered the code into the pad and listened as the "sing-song" voice welcomed her home.

"Welcome home Mrs Pettries."

"It's _Pea Trees!" _she screamed at the silver security box. "Like you even care! Whatever!" she mumbled under her breath as she drove the van around the gate and down the street. Scully braced her elbow on the side of the door and leaned her head against it as she sighed.

To say Scully has a rough day was putting it mildly. They had spent most of the day working on background checks on the neighbors they had contact with so far. Winn Shroeder was a real estate agent and was connected with the agency that was exclusive to the 'Falls'. His wife Cami was a teacher at the nearby Kindercare. Pat Berlander, the neighborhood welcome wagon, was a substitute teacher and worked at Pier 9 Imports, the retail store that Mr. Gogolak owned. The other couple that Scully could remember from the _frantic_ move in team was Gordy and Sissy Vesch. They barely even showed up on the radar, having normal everyday jobs outside the subdivision.

That left just Big Mike and his mystery business trip that Mulder went to investigate while Scully took care of the grocery shopping. Normally shopping was an enjoyable event for Scully, but today, it just annoyed her. The people in the store were just a little too "yuppy" for her tastes and suddenly everything was on her nerves, including the "cookie cutter" neighborhood that she was being forced to live in for the next few weeks and the minivan that Kimberly, A.D. Skinner's assistant, had rented for them. So Mulder's call to tell her about the change in dinner plans was just icing on the cake and finding Shroeder's phone number unlisted sent her over the edge.

Luckily for Scully the drop to the ground was short. As she was pulling into the driveway, she caught sight of Cami walking toward her out of the corner of her eye.

"Hi Laura!" Cami called waving her hand at Scully.

_Laura? Who's she talking too? _Scully thought as she hit the window control button. _Oh, yeah… that's me. Oops. _"Hi Cami!" Scully replied, plastering a fake smile on her face.

"I'm so glad I caught you, Winn told me that he had invited you to dinner tonight," Cami started. Scully noted that she was nervous and her face was flushed. "Unfortunately, it's not going to work out for us tonight. He forgot that we have a meeting to attend at ummm…. our church. We could do it tomorrow night instead," she smiled nervously. "Okay?"

"Yeah, sure," Scully replied feeling some relief that she wouldn't have to come up with a fake excuse of her own. "Tomorrow night will be better for us anyway, since we still have a lot of unpacking to do."

"Oh sure you do," Cami said noticing the groceries in the back of the van. "I can help you carry in your groceries, though."

"Oh, no, I can get them," Scully protested.

"No no, don't worry," Cami replied as she ran around the van and pulled open the side door. "Two hands are quicker than one."

"Yeah, whatever," Scully muttered under her breath as she unbuckled her seatbelt and got out of the car. _Did I leave any work stuff out in the kitchen? _Scully questioned herself as she stepped out of the van, grabbing her packages and a bag of groceries from the front seat. _Crap, I think Mulder left the file down there, shit … _just_ cut her off at the laundry room_, she thought as she hurried through the garage. Scully got to the interior door three steps faster than Cami and stepped through to block her advance into the house.

"Here, Cami, just set them on the washer," Scully pointed with her elbow. She set her bags down in the laundry room and turned around quickly blocking the hallway that led to the kitchen.

"Whew, they didn't look that heavy in the van," Cami laughed as she hefted the bags onto the washer. "Okay, Laura. Well, I'll let you go to unpack. Thanks for understanding about tonight," Cami said wringing her hands nervously. She back out of the doorway and walked down the driveway as Scully shut the door.

Scully had nearly stowed the groceries when her cell phone rang. She picked up the phone and spied the familiar name on the caller ID before answering. "Scully."

"Hi, I was calling for my wife, Laura …. Have you seen her?"

"Ha ha Mulder, you're a real jokester aren't you?"

"Did you bow out gracefully from our dinner date?"

"I didn't have to … Cami met me in the driveway and did it for me," Scully replied putting the last of the food items on a pantry shelf. "Apparently they have a 'meeting' to go to tonight." She stuffed the grocery bags together and stuck them under the sink.

"Yeah, at Big Mike's house, while they cover up more evidence," Mulder replied sarcastically.

"What? Why are you saying that?" Scully questioned him as she headed up the stairs to her bedroom.

"I stopped over at his office and none of the staff had any idea about his whereabouts," Mulder said with a sigh. "He just didn't show up for work today."

"And let me guess," Scully remarked as she kicked off her shoes and sat on the bed. "He never calls in sick."

"Well, that's the funny part," Mulder replied. "Someone did call his office this morning. There was a message on the answering machine stating that Big Mike wasn't coming in."

"How … did you…." Scully stammered trying to understand how he got the information on the call. _Did he blow our cover?_

"Don't worry, I didn't blow our cover," Mulder said interrupting her thoughts. "I told the office manager I was Mike's neighbor and that he had invited me to lunch."

"And she let you listen to the answering machine?"

"Well, after I batted my eyes at her," Mulder teased. "You'd be surprised what I can accomplish when I act all cute and innocent."

"Oh brother," Scully sighed and pretended to gag. "So who left the message?"

"It was a male voice, but it was distorted. I didn't recognize it," Mulder replied. "I sent one of the field agents in to retrieve the recording and run a call history on the phone. Are you ready to go to dinner?"

"I wanted to take a shower first to relax. I have residual road rage from the grocery store," Scully replied. She stood from the bed and walked into the bathroom fingering the towels hanging on the rack.

"I don't think you have time for that," Mulder replied looking over at his front seat passenger. "Driscoll has an early flight out. He wants to meet as soon as possible. Could you meet us in say 30 minutes at the place by the grocery store, what's it called? Red Truck Grill? Do you remember where it is?"

Scully sighed and rolled her eyes. _Rush rush rush …. _'Yeah, I'll meet you there," Scully replied reluctantly and closed the phone.

Mulder flipped the phone shut and set it down in the cup holder of the Jeep Wrangler rental he was driving.

"She's meeting us in thirty minutes?" asked the man sitting in the passenger seat next to him.

"Yeah, she'll be there," Mulder said as he turned the Jeep left into the parking lot at the Grill.

"You just blew our cover story."

"Huh?"

"You told her that Dris had an early flight tomorrow … busted," Agent Nester replied from the back seat. Jung Nester and his partner Jeff Driscoll, former cube-mates and friends of Mulder and Scully, were in San Diego finishing up a case. Mulder had called on them to assist him at Big Mike's office in retrieving the audio tape from the answering machine.

"Oh, shit!" Mulder cursed as he put the vehicle in park. "Crap, maybe she didn't catch it. I wasn't specific about which A.D. was meeting us."

"As if would be totally normal for my father to be in California and want to meet you for dinner?" Dris remarked with a laugh. "Things any better between you two?"

"No … not really," Mulder said as he looked back at his choice in vehicles. He had picked it specifically to shake up the neighborhood … the cookie cutter houses, perfectly manicured yards where the vehicle of choice was either a minivan or luxury sport utility vehicles. The Jeep was the signature yellow with a black rag top, which was currently in the down position, and big oversized tires. The Jeep was fresh out of the car wash when Mulder had picked it up. Then he and Nester had taken it out for a "test drive" while Driscoll did the reconnaissance at the Vet Clinic. "But I think she is warming up."

"Right," Driscoll said as he held the door of the Grill open for his friend. "I'm sure she'll be real warm when she learns that you lied to her about dinner."

* * *

Mulder was relaxing on the couch watching the late news, dressed in sweats and a t-shirt. Dinner with their friends was relaxing and the amazing thing was Scully wasn't even mad about his little fib. She honestly looked relieved that it was just Nester and Dris rather than AD Skinner. She wasn't too keen about the Jeep, or more specifically the mud colored paint scheme. He chuckled as he recalled her stunned reaction. 

"_That's your rental car?"_

"_Yeah, isn't great?"_

"_No," she replied with arched eyebrows. "How did it get all muddy?"_

"_Well, we had to break it in," he replied with an innocent grin. _

"_I hope you plan on parking that in the garage tonight."_

"_Nope! I think it'll be more aesthetically pleasing if we left it on the drive," he replied flatly. _

A crash of glass and metal from the second floor brought him out of his reviver. Mulder jumped over the back of the couch and ran up the stairs to find out what happened.

"Scully?" he yelled as he took the stairs in twos. "Scully?" Mulder heard movement from the spare bedroom and stopped in the doorway to survey the scene. Scully was crawling out from under a box. She looked up when she heard him laugh.

"You find it funny that I just got smashed under this box?" She scowled at him.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, other than a bruised ego," she mumbled as she tried to push the box off her legs.

Mulder crossed the room and picked the box up and moved it off her. "What were you doing anyway?"

"I was looking for a book that I thought had gotten packed with ….." she looked at him as he held his hand out to her. "Forget it; I wasn't really looking for anything." She let him pull her up to a standing position and she rubbed her hand across the back of her neck.

"Does your neck hurt?" Mulder asked as he watched her closely.

"A little," Scully answered as she rolled her head.

Without asking her permission, Mulder ran his across her neck and worked the pressure points at the base of her skull. He could feel the tension in her neck as he found two knots right away. He pulled her closer to his body as he kneaded the first knot with his strong fingers. Mulder felt Scully rest her hand casually on his chest and heard her gasp as he broke up the knot.

"Ohhh," she moaned quietly. "Gawd, that feels good."

_Hmmm, I like it when she talks like that,_ Mulder thought as he formulated his reply. He had to tread carefully with his response as the slightest miscue would break the mood between them.

"You're pretty tense," he said quietly. _Geezus, that sounded so romantic,_ Mulder thought as he chided himself. He slid his hand down her back and took her hand in his. "Come," he beckoned her as he led her out of the room and down the hall to the master bedroom. He led her to the bed and watched as she lay down on her stomach. He sat next to her and began to rub her back.

"Hmmm, Mulder," she whispered after a few minutes. She turned her head to look at him "You keep that up, I'm going to fall asleep."

"Would that be a bad thing?"

"No, except that every light in the house is on and…"

"Shhh," he shushed her. "I'll take care of the lights and lock the house up for the night. You just relax." To entice her, he pulled her hair off her neck and ran his fingers up her scalp, massaging her head as he went. He could feel Scully relax beneath him and heard a soft moan escape from her lips.

* * *

Mulder awoke with a jump and looked around the master bedroom of the house, taking a moment to remember where he was. He looked down at the redhead nestled against him and smiled. He had fallen asleep after giving Scully a back rub earlier and now she was sleeping soundly with her head resting in the crook of his arm. 

Mulder adjusted his arm and turned it slightly to get the circulation moving it again. He rested his head back against the pillow and closed his eyes preparing to fall back to sleep. As he lay in the darkness of the house, he heard the distinct sound of the garage door motor running, slightly vibrating the floor beneath the bed. Mulder opened his eyes and stared up at the ceiling as he listened for any sound from the lower level. After a few seconds, he slid his arm from under Scully's head and rolled out of the bed.

He walked quietly out of the bedroom and paused momentarily at the top of the stairs. The glow from the downstairs lights illuminated the stairway and he could hear the TV playing in the background. Mulder padded down the stairs and turned left, heading down the short hallway to the laundry room. He reached the interior door leading to the garage and quietly turned the handle.

As Mulder pulled the door open, the light from the garage flooded the laundry room. Mulder stood in the doorway and stared into the garage with a perplexed expression on his way. Neatly parked in front of him were the minivan and the Jeep. "That's interesting," Mulder said aloud to himself as he stepped into the garage. _Scully and I were sleeping. The front door is locked. Someone definitely has the code to the keypad, _Mulder thought as he put his hand on the hood of the Jeep. The engine was cold, so whoever moved it into the garage didn't turn it on. _So, they must have pushed it in here,_ he started to walk to the back of the Jeep just as the light on the opener timed out and the garage went black. Mulder stood in the darkness for a second allowing his eyes to adjust and then walked back to the laundry room door. He walked into the house and closed the door. Once inside he shut the lights off in the kitchen and living room and then walked to the TV set in front of the fireplace.

Mulder started to channel surf absent-mindedly as he stood in front of the TV. He was torn in his desire. Part of him wanted to go back upstairs and lay next to the Scully for the rest of the night, the other part of him was saying he needed to spend another night on the couch. He walked backwards to the couch and sat down on the edge. _I'll just sit here for a while in the dark to make sure the garage monster doesn't try to cut through the house again_ he thought as he stretched out on his side and covered himself with the blanket.

Within minutes, he had fallen asleep.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Wednesday

Scully descended the stairs slowly, not believing her nose and eyes. Mulder was making breakfast. _Since when is he a morning person? _she thought as she paused on the bottom step. She looked around the room and rubbed her eyes. _Am I dreaming? My Mulder wakes up before me? _She watched her partner putter around the stove top, obviously scrambling eggs. A fresh pot of coffee was finishing its brew cycle and two slices of crispy toast popped out of the toaster as she approached the breakfast bar.

"Good morning sleepy," Mulder said as he spied her entrance out of the corner of his eye. She was still dressed in her pajamas, covered in her robe. _I hate that robe_, Mulder thought as he looked at Scully.

"Morning," she smiled. "You keep surprising me Mulder. I didn't know you were such a morning person."

He poured her a cup of coffee and added a splash of hazelnut creamer. "Well, you're right; I'm not a morning person," he said as he handed her the cup.

"Why the change then?"

Mulder leaned up against the counter and tilted his head. "I can't relax at night…it's not like I'm in the security of my apartment or yours for that matter," he replied and took a swallow of coffee. "You don't seem to have any problem though."

Scully smirked at his comment and hid her face behind the cup as she took a drink. She had to admit, she had slept like a log the night before cuddled against the warmth of his chest. "Did something happen last night?" she asked just to make conversation.

"Our invisible friend pushed the Jeep into the garage."

Scully looked at him in surprise. "What? When? Did you find it this morning on your run?"

"No, the garage door woke me up in the middle of the night," he replied. He turned and dished some eggs onto her plate and handed it to her with a piece of toast. "I came down to the garage right after _whoever_ made the great escape because the security light was still on."

"How did…" she looked at him perplexed. "If the light was still on."

"I'll assume he or she exited the garage, since I didn't run into anyone at the bottom of the stairs," he replied casually. He caught her uneasy expression just as she tried to mask it. "Relax," Mulder replied. "I changed the code on the key pad after my run. The new code is 1013." He stuck a forkful of eggs in his mouth and walked over to the far end of the breakfast bar. He picked up two evidence bags and handed them to her. One contained a red substance that looked similar to the stuff he had scraped from the fan blade. The other contained a plastic finger print strip.

"What's this?" Scully said as she set her fork down.

"I scraped the red stuff of the back of the jeep this morning. I thought it was blood at first, but it was still wet, so I don't know what it is," Mulder replied as he watched her analyze it. "I lifted the fingerprint from the jeep as well. It was smeared into the blood, so I have a hunch it belongs to our mystery friend."

"Our mystery friend didn't happen to wash the jeep did he?" Scully asked him with a grin on her face.

"Ha ha .. funny," Mulder replied sarcastically. "I'll take it to the car wash later this morning. What do you have on your plate for today?"

"Nothing really. I thought I would go up to the fitness center in the clubhouse and mingle with the ladies," Scully replied as she finished her eggs. She smeared some jelly on her toast. "Are we going to see Mr. Whats-his-face today?"

"Oh, yeah," Mulder replied biting into his toast. "I almost forgot. Crap! And we have dinner at six at the neighbors."

Scully looked over at the clock on the microwave. It was 9:30. "Hmm, well, why don't we try to see Mr. Whatever this morning, then I can run out to the PD to get these samples to the lab?"

"Can't I go with you to the lab?"

"No, you need to go wash your toy," Scully replied flatly. "I'm going to take a shower."

"Care if you I join you?" Mulder blurted out. He had been thinking that he was ready to take his shower as well. _She'll never go for it,_ he thought as he waited for her response. He watched her as she bit her lip and stared at the counter top, as if she was contemplating it. He arched his eyebrows and added. "Come on Laura …It's not like we haven't taken one together before … we could conserve water."

Scully met his gaze and held it for a moment. It was an appealing thought, but ultimately it would just lead to other things and delay the start of their day. _I should call his bluff and see if he could just take the shower and not attack me. _"Mulder, we didn't conserve any water the last time we took a shower together," she replied quietly. She was still considering his offer. Her resistance to him was wearing thin, especially after last night's back rub. "As much as I want to say yes, we've got too much to do today … How about a rain check?" she winked as she looked at him and then turned to walk up the stairs.

"A rain check?" Mulder called after her as he picked up her plate. _What was that? She's softening, _he thought smugly as he put stacked the dishes in the dishwasher. "I'm going to hold you to that Scully."

* * *

Scully sat nestled against Mulder on the sofa in Mr. Gogolak's living room as Mulder argued with the homeowner association president over the portable basketball hoop. Mulder was teasing the back of her neck with his hand and it was sending shivers down her spine. She could feel her nipples becoming hard and she shifted in her seat as she felt a throbbing sensation between her legs. She could hear Mulder's voice in the background, but her thoughts were solely on the sensations he was evoking in her. She stared blankly at the floor with an odd smirk plastered on her face.

Scully had '_the urge_' ever since breakfast when Mulder had planted the seed. She tried had tried to work it out in the shower, but was unsuccessful. Her passionate feelings for him coupled with the erotic dreams she had been having lately were … working her nerves to put it lightly. And now, she was sitting right next to him, while he unknowingly fiddled with the back of her neck! She could barely contain her reaction much less concentrate on the conversation.

"Mr. Gogolak, let me make sure I understand… is it against the CC&R's to leave the hoop out or can I store it in the garage and just pull it out when I want to play?" Mulder questioned the man. As he did so, he ran his hand across the nap of Scully's neck and up the through her hair, teasing her erogenous zone.

"Sorry, Mr. Petries, the rules don't allow for it. Sporting equipment is provided for use at the community park, which is three streets over from your house," Mr. Gogolak replied as he shut the book and walked back to the desk to set it down.

Mulder hugged Scully to draw her from her thoughts and leaned over to kiss her ear. "You're in trouble later, Laura," he whispered in her ear. "I know that look." He watched Scully glance over at him and felt her pat his arm.

"Mr. Gogolak, where would I be able to pick up a copy of the CC&R's?" Mulder asked innocently.

"You can check out a copy from the realtor's office just inside the front gate," the man replied as he walked back toward the couple on the couch.

"We'll be sure to pick up a copy today," Mulder replied as he squeezed Scully again. "Won't we honey?" he asked rhetorically trying to elicit a response from his partner.

"Yeah, we'll stop there on our way home," Scully replied taking a deep breath. _Is it stuffy in here or am I just having a hot flash? _she thought as Mulder pulled her up from the couch.

"Well, thanks for your time," Mulder said and extended his hand to the association president.

Scully felt Mulder's arm around her waist guiding her to the door and she plastered a smile on her face to match his muffled words. She stepped out of the house and made her way to the van all the while feeling her head spinning from the emotions bubbling just under the surface of her skin. She longed for Mulder's touch and not just in the friendly way. Scully turned to see Mulder walking behind her and reached out to stop him by grabbing his hand. She could see Mr. Gogolak staring at them from his doorway and called to Mulder by his alias.

"Rob," she started. She thought she heard her voice crack and took a deep breath. "Could we … ah… go back to the house for a second? I forgot something."

"Are you okay …Laura?" Mulder asked as he looked into her eyes. They appeared a little watery. Mulder also noticed Gogolak watching them and stepped closer to Scully, running his hand down the side of her face.

"I'm okay Mulder," she whispered. "I just need to get something." _Okay, if you must know, I'm friggen horny and I need to relieve myself, _she thought in her head.

Mulder held her gaze for a moment noticing her face was flushed. He leaned in and brushed his lips over hers and heard her breath catch in her throat. "Something like that?" He pulled back to look into her eyes.

Scully bit her lip and blinked as a tear escaped and rolled down her face. "Yeah," she whispered as he wiped it away with his hand. _Geezus Mulder, do that again and I'll nail you right here in his driveway. _

Mulder followed her around to the passenger side of the van and held the door open so she could get in. He closed the door, walked quickly to his side and climbed in the car. He drove off quickly and headed back to their house casually.

* * *

It wasn't fast enough. Scully attacked Mulder as he walked around the front of the van and made his way to the interior door to the house. Her lips crashed against his and hungrily kissed him. Mulder wrapped his arm around her waist and carefully walked her backward into the house trying desperately to ensure that she didn't trip or stumble along the way, which was a little challenging considering their height difference.

They fell through the laundry room door, depositing themselves on the floor near the kitchen. Scully frantically tugged at his shirt and pulled it from his trousers fumbling to unbutton it to reveal his bare chest. She slid her hands under the fabric and raked her fingernails up his back, all the while their lips never disconnected from each other. Scully pulled her partner down on top of her feeling his arousal bulging under the zipper of his pants. She wriggled below him, positioning herself against his erection, to feel the pressure against her mound.

Mulder felt himself being swallowed up in the moment. He wanted this … probably as much as Scully did at this exact second, but something wasn't right. She was too frantic about it, too hungry for it. The sound of their cell phones clattering across the floor was the wake up call he needed. He pulled back from her lips and hovered over her body as he looked into her eyes. "Scully," he whispered as he gasped for breath. "Slow down."

"I can't Mulder," she whispered trying to pull him closer to her. "I want you. I need to feel you." She pushed herself up on her elbows and kissed him deeply again, probing his mouth with her tongue.

Mulder pulled back from her embrace again and knelt next to her. He cupped his hand around her face and again caught tears that had flooded over the rims. "Scully, what's wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong, I just want you to make love to me,' she whispered, tracing her finger down his bare chest. "Don't you want me?"

Mulder noticed she was trembling. _Ahh huh… right, yeah, something is definitely off. She's needy, _he thought as he carefully chose his response. "Sure I do, just not on this hard floor," he replied and stood up. He pulled her from the floor and led her up the stairs to her bedroom.

He stepped back in the hallway and watched her walk to the bed. The delay was just the pause he needed to get her to change gears. While he didn't doubt her desire for him, he questioned her hunger. She had that needy look in her eyes again. _Why now and not two weeks ago? _He caught her staring at the floor, deep in thought. "What are you thinking?" he prompted her mentally preparing himself for something. He leaned against the doorway and shoved his hands in his pockets.

She was hesitant for a moment and then looked away from him at the wall. "Did you sleep with … Diana the night of our fight at the loft?" she blurted out all in one breath.

_Whoa, that's what this is about? _Mulder thought quickly. "No." he answered flatly.

"But you went to her after our fight." It wasn't really a question.

Mulder pursed his lips. S_hit! No good is going to come from this_. "Yes, aghh… no…not like that," he stammered. "I went to confront her with your accusations, but she wasn't there."

"My acc…evidence against her that you didn't believe when we were at the loft?"

"When you ambushed me in front of our friends and then dumped me?" Mulder retorted and then took a breath to calm his nerves. This wasn't going to be productive if he allowed her to piss him off again.

"I didn't dump you Mulder … we had a fight," Scully yelled at him and threw her hands up in frustration. She walked into the bathroom and yelled back at him over her shoulder. "You chose our fate when you ran to the 'chickadee's' arms afterwards."

"What? _The chickadee_?" Mulder laughed at the reference and followed her into the bathroom. "That is a Frohikeeism if I've ever heard one. I did not _run_ to Diana's arms. If you must know … I drove around for about an hour looking for you and then I went to Diana's to confront her, but she wasn't there. I broke into the apartment and was snooping around for evidence to collaborate your position when Spender's father paid her a visit."

Scully turned around at the vanity and stared at him. "CGB? What was he doing there?" she asked.

"Well, he claimed he was looking for his son," Mulder answered.

"And he thought he would find him at Fowley's apartment?"

"Yeah," Mulder sighed. "I didn't believe him either, but then he filled my head with some bull about the airbase and how I would see my sister again and," Mulder paused and leaned against the doorframe. "I was a little emotionally unstable and he sucked me in to his web. Then he left and I sat in the dark thinking about screwed up my life was and how if I kept on, how I was going to lose you. I had nearly forgotten where I was when Diana walked in."

"So that's why you were with her when I called you," Scully said trying to piece it all together. After they had left the horrific site at the airbase that fateful night, Skinner drove them back to her apartment and dropped them off. Mulder had been very quiet and apologized for not believing her at the loft but had never explained anything further.

Now, his revelation about Smoking Man at Diana's apartment clicked in her head like the missing puzzle piece. Smoky had placed Spender in the X-files to enable the syndicate's continuation of the project and Diana had been the perfect compliment. All the members of the syndicate were killed at the Airbase, except Smoking Man and ironically Diana. _That's convenient, _she thought as she looked at her partner in the doorway.

"I owe you my life. If you hadn't called me, I would've gone to the airbase with Diana and my fate would have been sealed," Mulder remarked, looking down at the floor.

"Mulder, at the rail yards you told me about the airbase and that you had told Diana to go there and wait for you. But obviously neither she or Smoky were there since I saw her at work three days later and the ballistics on the gun found in Spender's office had unidentified prints on it…prints that Skinner believes to be Smoky's. The DNA from the cigarette butt found in the trash can is nearly a match with Agent Spender's and considering he wasn't a smoker, it's fairly obvious who shot him," Scully implored. "So, you honestly think that you would've gone there and just given up like the others?"

He shook his head and walked into the bedroom. "Scully, I felt defeated that night. I felt like I had lost you, caused you unnecessary suffering, and chased an unending dream. Ole man Spender caught me at just the right second and then manipulated me with promises of seeing my sister …." He paused and turned around realizing that she was now standing behind him. "Yeah, I think I would've gone there and died just like those others."

"Well, I don't believe that. You may have gone there with her, but the Fox Mulder I know and love would have never stood by and let someone burn him to death," Scully replied flatly. "You aren't the person that just gives in."

The words echoed in his head as Mulder recalled his conversation from that night with Diana. He had said those exact words …_there comes a time when you realize for the ones you love to survive you need to just give in…_ to Diana when he convinced her to go with him, to follow him on his journey. In retrospect, Diana was just a little too willing that night. Willing to take him to her bed, willing to do whatever it took to reel him in. _What it all just part of her plan … Smokey's plan?_ Scully's voice droned on in the background as Mulder replayed that night in his mind.

"Mulder, you may have been lolled into a false sense of security by the two of them, but there is no way in hell that you would have suffered the fate of the others. Mulder?"

"Hmmm?" He looked up at her. Scully was standing in the middle of the bedroom wit her arms crossed at her chest. She was staring at him with those piercing blue eyes.

"Did you ask her why she didn't go there?"

Mulder sighed. "I've talked to her about it," Mulder replied. "She said she had gotten stuck in traffic." The day after the incident, Mulder had gone to Diana's apartment to confront her about things … specifically her whereabouts the previous night and CGB's little visit to her apartment … Diana's excuse about the airbase was that she had gotten lost then stuck in traffic. She claimed she arrived at the airbase later after Skinner and he had left. She claimed ignorance to Spender's visit.

He looked at Scully standing in the middle of the room, and walked to her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and blew soft kisses down the side of her neck.

"How did this conversation turn to focus on me?" he whispered. "I thought we were talking about you."

"It's always circles back to you Mulder," she answered as she turned her head, allowing him more access to her neck. "I thought you had chosen her over me."

"Well, that would've been a dumb choice, since I love you," he whispered. He slid his hand under her shirt and quickly unsnapped the clasp of her bra. He cupped her breast in his hand and smiled as he heard her gasp for breath in his ear.

"But you loved her once," she remarked between gasps.

_She did not just say that, _he thought as he captured her mouth with his lips. _What is with her? Why does this bother her so much? Doesn't she get it that my heart is only for her now? _He sighed as he pulled out of their kiss. "Once," he paused and chuckled. "I don't understand why you let her get to you like this Scully. It's not like you don't have any former lovers lurking around in your closet."

"That's different."

"Exactly how is that different? If I remember correctly you went to dinner with that TV guy … what's-his-name …Ethan…before we left on this case," Mulder questioned her.

"I don't want to sleep with Ethan, he and I are strictly friends."

"You slept with him once."

"Yeah, eons ago … before I met you."

"Well, it's the same for me and Diana," Mulder replied flatly.

"Does she know that?" Scully asked him. "Because I get the distinct impression that if you gave her an inch, she would take a mile."

Mulder was about to respond when he was interrupted by the sound of a cell phone. "Aghhh, shit," he mumbled and padded his waist for his phone.

"Downstairs," Scully said pushing him toward the door. "Hallway."

Mulder nodded and practically lunged down the stairs in two steps. Both of their phones were scattered in the hallway, along with Mulder's shirt and belt. He scooped up the phone that was ringing and flipped it open to answer it on the last ring.

"Mulder." Mulder listened in silence for a second and then handed the phone to Scully. "It's your brother," he said with a disgusted expression on his face. He watched her take the phone from him and walk into the living room to talk to Bill in private.

Mulder leaned over to pick up his clothing and headed back up the stairs to find a new shirt. _I don't know if I should be happy the phone rang to save me from that ridiculous discussion or pissed that it was her brother, _Mulder thought as he ascended the stairs. He walked into the bedroom and chucked the shirt in the hamper.

Scully's oldest brother, Bill, wasn't a fan of Mulder. Mulder always tried to play nice, but sometimes it was difficult, especially since Bill looked for reasons to put him down at every turn. After they had returned from Galena, Scully had told her mother about their relationship, so he was certain Bill knew of it as well. _I'm sure that just made his day. Bet he wants to hang out like brothers now, _Mulder laughed to himself as he pulled on a white button down shirt and donned a blue V-Neck sweater vest.

He headed back down the stairs and looked at his watch. _It's 1:30? Geezus where did the time go? _He heard Scully still talking on the phone and headed out to the garage to put the rag top up on the jeep so he could run it through the car wash. After about fifteen minutes, Scully joined him in the garage.

"Are you going to the carwash with that thing?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'll stop at the realtor office to get a copy of the CC&R's while I'm out as well," Mulder replied as he secured the top to the bracket by the windshield. "What did your brother want?"

"Just to say hi and to invite us to dinner," Scully replied.

"Us? You're kidding right? I highly doubt that he invited us to dinner," Mulder replied looking back at her.

She signed and ran her tongue over her lip. "Okay smarty pants if you must know, he invited me, which I told him was rude so then he relented and said you could come as well," she replied flatly.

"Hmmp," Mulder replied as he rolled his eyes. "Geez, I don't know what would be more exciting ... sitting through dinner with your brother or putting a plastic bag over my head while I jerk off."

"Mulder that is sick," Scully retorted glaring at him.

"What part?" Mulder laughed. "When does he want you to go over there?"

"Friday at 6:30."

"Well, I might be busy, but I'll see," Mulder said opening the door of the jeep. "Are you going to run down to the PD?"

"Yeah, I need to stop at the store and get some wine for tonight."

"There's wine in the kitchen," Mulder said as he looked around the jeep for the keys.

"We need a bottle to take as a gift for the neighbors."

"A gift? Why do we have to bring a gift?" Mulder asked her quizzically. He climbed out of the Jeep and headed toward the house. "They invited us."

Scully shook her head and followed him into the house. "It's polite Mulder. Something you obviously know nothing about."

"Hey … that's not true. I've brought the drinks when we've had dinner at your place or the Gunmen's."

"Mulder, a six pack of beer doesn't count."

"Since when?" he asked as he retrieved the keys from the counter top by the fridge. He looked down into her eyes. "I was kidding," he added as he leaned over and kissed her on the lips. "Get some ice cream too, like rocky road."

Scully looked at him quizzically. "For our gift?"

"No, G-woman, so I can raid the icebox when we get home," he smiled at her and headed back to the garage. "Don't be late tonight… it wouldn't be neighborly."

* * *

Scully listened to Nester drone on about the lack of information he had on her missing neighbor. Ever since she had been stuck in that mine shaft with Agent Nester he acted like the two of them had a _special _connection. She checked her watch for the third time and wondered what was taking Mulder so long. After seeing Mike's necklace in the sewer drain outside of his house, Mulder had gone to investigate the neighborhood a little more thoroughly. That was over an hour ago and Scully was starting to get a little worried. Finally she heard the front door shut and she abruptly ended Nester's one sided conversation in quick Mulder style.

"Okay Nester, thanks for the information," Scully said curtly.

"Huh? That's it?" Nester stammered over his words. "Geezus, I can see Mulder is wearing off on you."

"Ahh huh, yeah, well if I start believing in UFO's and belching, then you can start to worry," Scully said with a smile and watched Mulder enter the room. "You can call Mulder if you get anymore information … just not tonight."

"Why not tonight?" Nester protested. "Are you two going to get busy or something?"

"Goodbye Nester," Scully said as she shut the cell phone. "Nester has nothing on Big Mike, no charges on his credit card and the police haven't seen his minivan."

Mulder pulled his sweatshirt over his head and threw it into the hamper. "I didn't see him in the sewer either." He threw the evidence bag on the top of the dresser and logged his findings into the case notes on Scully's lap top. "His house is locked up tight too. I guess he's dead Scully." Mulder walked over to the doorway. "Do you want something to eat? I'm going downstairs."

Scully stared at him in bewilderment. "You didn't get enough at dinner?"

"If you had been paying attention, you would have noticed that I didn't actually eat dinner," Mulder replied. "I just moved it around on my plate." He shuddered and then pretended to gag. "Tuna casserole? Blechek,"

"I thought you liked tuna?" Scully asked him as she stood in the doorway to the bathroom.

"I like tuna steaks and an occasional tuna sandwich ….but not tuna casserole," Mulder replied and sighed. "I think I ate too much of it growing up. Tuna casserole is food you eat at home when you aren't trying to impress anybody … not exactly my idea of dinner party food."

"Hard salami."

"Huh?" Mulder replied furrowing his eyebrows.

"I'll take some hard salami," Scully replied with a grin.

"With or without bread?"

"I think there are some crackers down there in the cabinet."

"Oh no, if you are going to eat your meat on crackers, you'll need to come get it yourself," Mulder said with a sly grin on his face. He headed down the stairs. Scully followed a few seconds later.

After snacking on salami and crackers, Mulder dished up bowls of Rocky Road ice cream and they moved over to relax on the couch. Scully watched Mulder turn on the fireplace and adjust the flame as she covered up with the blanket.

"I don't know Mulder, there is something just wrong about _turning on _the fireplace. Fires should be lit and stoked, not just turned on with a flick of a switch," Scully said eating her ice cream.

"I didn't just flick the switch, I turned this little knob too," Mulder said as pushed open the glass doors. He stood up and walked over to the couch. "Well, I'm sure there is a CC&R about wood fireplaces ... like the smell of the wood burning would bring too much of a homey atmosphere to the neighborhood." He settled on the couch and picked up his bowl of ice cream.

"Okay, so motive," Mulder started and then stuck a spoonful of ice cream in his mouth.

"None that I can see from the outside," Scully replied. "Which is exactly what the San Diego PD had on the other three cases, nothing. People just disappear and when the neighbors are asked about it … they act all weird."

"Which leads me to believe they are involved," Mulder replied. "They are a little too nosy for my tastes. I thought the old lady that lives across the hall from me was bad. Did you notice Cami's expression when Winn said this place was the American dream?"

"You mean when her face turned ghost white and she nearly choked on her tuna?" Scully replied. "I tried to get her to talk about it on our walk, but she wouldn't open up and then the dog ran into the sewer and that was the end of things." Scully stirred her ice cream around in the bowl. "What do you think Mike's necklace was doing down there?"

"I dunno," Mulder replied with a mouthful of ice cream. After he swallowed he continued. "Maybe he lost it."

"In the sewer drain?"

"Right in front of his house … It's possible. Haven't you ever dropped your keys in the sewer?"

Scully stared at him in frustration. She hated it when he played devil's advocate. _Let's change the subject, _she thought as she set the bowl on the end table. "What did you and Winn talk about while we were gone?"

"Nothing much," Mulder shrugged. "He doesn't have much of a personality. Very strict … a little too law abiding, it's like he is obsessed with the CC&R's. I think he asked me four times what I did for a living though."

"What did you tell him?"

"I said you were a sex kitten and I was your slave," Mulder answered with a sly grin on his face. He moved closer to Scully on the couch and started to play with her hair and the back of her neck.

It wasn't long before they were kissing each other hungrily, probing their mouths with tongues, discovering each other like it was the first time. Scully took the lead fueled again by her need for him. She straddled his legs and settled over him, running her fingers through his hair. He pulled back from their embrace and locked his gaze on hers, holding her like a hypnotic trance. Scully felt herself being pulled into the moment and arched her back as he ran his hands along the length of her torso.

She watched him untie the robe and slide his hands under the fabric of her pajamas, slowly creeping his hands up to her swollen breasts. He found the nipples erect and hard. She gasped as he squeezed her nipples. She felt his arousal growing beneath the fabric of his sweat pants and lowered herself down to rub against him. The friction caused her mound to throb with desire and she could feel herself getting wet.

Scully tugged his t-shirt over his head and shed her robe in the process. Mulder pushed her pajama top off her as well and quickly took her full breast into his mouth, sucking on one nipple, while kneading the other with his thumb. The pressure and sensations were too much for her and she felt an orgasm roll free inside. She cried out as Mulder continued his pressure on her chest. Scully pulled his head closer to her breast as she rocked her hips against his waist. "Mulder," she gasped as her tidal wave began to diminish. "Make love to me."

He pulled back from her breast and looked into her eyes, which were filled with desire. He lifted her off his waist into a standing position in front of him. He tugged her pajama bottoms down and traced the outline of her mound fully exposed in front of him. He leaned forward and began to finger her folds, flicking his tongue across her bud which was dripping wet with her essence. Mulder could hear her gasp above him and felt her fingertips massage the top of his head, her fingernails gently raking across his scalp.

After a minute, she pushed his head back and knelt down in front of him. Mulder slid his sweatpants down and moved his legs apart to allow her better access. He watched her take his arousal in her mouth and work her magic on it. He leaned his head back on the cushions, still watching her as her head bobbed up and down on his shaft. He felt the sensations begin to overwhelm him, the friction of the tightness of her lips, the wetness of her tongue and the stroke of her hand. He felt his organism build and he bit his lip to stop himself from exploding in her mouth. _Think basketball, think basketball, _he chided himself trying to stop the buildup in his groin. He took a deep breath and blew it hard out his mouth willing the sensation to go away, just temporarily.

He reached down and pulled Scully up to him again, sliding down on the cushion for better position. She straddled him and he pushed himself inside her quickly, hearing her gasp as his girth evaded her. They rocked in unison as they probed each others mouths and he massaged her breasts. As he felt the pressure building inside of his organ, he moved his hands to Scully's waist to slow her movements.

Scully was close to her apex again and could tell from the look in Mulder's eyes that he was as well. She knew he wanted to slow things down, but all she could think about was feeling his explosion inside of her. She spread her legs open a little farther and began to move a little more quickly in her thrusts. She distracted him by shoving a breast into his mouth and running her hand across the back of his neck. After a second more, she felt her own release from below and cried out his name as she bit her lip. As she continued to rock against him, she felt his frantic movements below her and his firm hold on her hips in an attempt to stop her movement on him. His explosion was intense and she listened with a smile on her face as he growled and moaned her name.

Scully giggled quietly as she continued to rock against him, knowing that it drove him crazy. She was reveling in the moment when he caught her off guard by flipping her over onto her back. She screamed out at the unexpectedness of it and quickly laughed to cover her surprise.

"Mulder," she squealed as he hovered above her. She looked up at him and caught the grin on his face. "Why are you laughing?"

"A little ironic don't you think? The first time we made love was on a couch in front of a fireplace and the first time we make love after our first fight, we are again on a couch in front of a fireplace."

"With just one small difference," Scully replied still trying to catch her breath. "That house was haunted."

"This place has its own unexplained phenomena," Mulder remarked as settled between in the cradle of her legs and pulled the blanket over them. "Who's to say it isn't haunted?"

She rolled her eyes. "And there will be no surprise interruptions by fellow guests." She lay there silently; staring into the flame of the fireplace as she absent-mindedly ran her fingers through Mulder's hair. After a short time, she felt him putting pressure on her mound with his fingers.

"Ready for round two?" he asked her quietly and winked at her.

Scully nodded and watched his head dip down between her legs.

TBC

A/N: I had just watched Full Frontal on DVD before writing this chapter and had to put the "plastic bag" reference in there. For those of you who haven't seen it … it's very bizarre…. And funny in a weird kinda way.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I'm just borrowing the characters for my own perverse pleasure. No infringement intended.

A/N Okay, I'm supposed to be doing my homework ... but I couldn't resist posting the next installment ...

Chapter 4

Friday

The crinkle of the newspaper caught Scully's attention as she slowly came down the stairs. She found Mulder sitting at the breakfast bar in his normal morning attire … running clothes. He was reading the morning paper and eating a bowl of Cheerios. "Good morning," she mumbled to him as she walked into the kitchen. She shuffled to the fridge and stared into it blankly. After a minute, she got a bowl out of the cabinet and dumped milk and cereal in it as well.

"Laura, honey …what's on your plate today?" Mulder asked her sarcastically without looking up.

Scully stared at the blankly at the cabinet before answering. _I hate the name Laura, _she thought coldly. _This case better heat up soon cuz I'm being to hate my life, _she sighed inwardly. "After my workout at the fitness center, I'm going to go the police department to get the lab results and then shopping to amuse myself until it's time to go to Bill's," she replied. "Are you sure that you don't want to go with me?"

Mulder turned to look at her. "I'm absolutely sure that I don't want to go with you. I'm not in the mood for any Mulder bashing today," he replied and then walked over to the dish washer to load his dishes on the top shelf. "I have a nice bachelor night planned in front of the TV."

"What makes you think it's going to be Mulder bashing?" Scully questioned, suddenly annoyed that Mulder was refusing to go with her. She had secretly thought he would change his mind by the end of the week.

"Scully, your brother hates me. I'm sure that he had some choice thoughts when he found out we were dating and I'm damn sure not in the mood to listen to them," Mulder replied flatly.

"Well, alright then," Something was obviously bugging him and Scully realized it wasn't worth getting into a fight over. She was quiet for a few minutes and finally worked up the nerve to find out what was bugging him. "What was that about?"

Mulder sighed and walked to the patio door. "Suburbia is getting to me Scully. Five days on this case and we're not any closer to solving it than the San Diego PD," he stared out the door at their empty backyard. "How could anyone call this the American dream? All these houses look the same, the landscaping is the same, and even the stinking mail boxes are the same. The whole neighborhood is so blaah…. lacking any character."

"It's the perfect neighborhood," Scully replied. "At least that is what the brochure says." She walked over to him and put her arm around his waist.

Mulder looked at her and then leaned down to kiss her on the lips. "Whoa, we'd better watch it, kissing in front of the windows might be a CC&R violation," he laughed and then ran his fingers through her hair. "Perfect neighborhood or not, they are definitely hiding something and today I have a sure fire way to test it."

* * *

Shortly after Scully had left to spend the day away from the neighborhood, Mulder walked to the community park, basketball in hand, to shoot hoops for a while. He was joined by two teenaged boys for a quick game of two on two. The boys were probably skipping school, but Mulder wasn't about to snitch on them. Instead he seized the opportunity to learn about the neighborhood. After three games of hoops, Mulder was not only completely exhausted, but a little more educated about the quirks of the neighborhood. 

Waving goodbye to his new found friends, Mulder took a short cut through the backyards to his house. Just as he hit the property line of his own backyard, he accidentally ran into Sissy Vesch.

"Hi Rob," she called from her patio. "Hanging out at the community park?"

"Yeah," Mulder replied sheepishly. _She lives right friggen behind me? Great! _He turned around and walked over to where she was standing. "Yeah, I like to go there and blow off some stress."

"Stress?" she gave him a funny look. "How can a guy that works from home have any stress? What is it that you do anyway?"

"Nothing too exciting really," he said and looked at his watch. "Oh look at the time, gotta go," he said quickly and back pedaled across the lawn toward his sliding glass door.

"Why don't we plan to get together next week? Gordy and I would love to have you over," she called.

"Sure!" Mulder answered. "I'll have Scully get together with you on that."

"Scully?"

_Crap! Did I just call her that? _"Sorry, that's..ah…Laura's former name," Mulder stuttered. "Ole habits are hard to break sometimes." _Frig! I'm such an idiot! _

"Oh, no big deal, Gordy still calls me by my maiden name too," Sissy waved him off.

Mulder dashed into the house and closed the sliding glass door. "Maiden name you idiot," he mumbled as he set the basketball in the nook under the stairs. He ran up the stairs and to get cleaned up for his afternoon adventure.

* * *

Mulder stood defiantly in the front yard and stuck the plastic pink flamingo in the ground. He looked around at the empty street and dared the neighborhood to take him on. "Bring it on," he mumbled to himself before walking slowly to the house. 

Once inside, he peeked out the security glass at the bird and looked at his watch. The time was 1:25 pm. He stared at the yard for a moment and then walked into the kitchen to get something to drink and to pull a bar stool over to the door. By the time he got back to the door, the pink flamingo was gone.

"What the fug?" he mumbled and looked at his watch again. 1:27 pm. He flung the door open and stomped down the sidewalk. "I was gone from the door less than a minute," he mumbled as he walked down the drive scanning the yard for a sign of movement. There was nothing. Mulder walked to the mail box and leaned against the post. _What? Did the fuggin flamingo genie swoop down from the sky and swipe pinky from my lawn?_ Mulder thought to himself as he glanced at his surroundings.

Mulder stood back from the mailbox and stared at the post for a second. _Okay, I'll just fuck with the mailbox then, take that, _he thought kicking it lose from its footings. When it was leaning over pretty good, he flipped the door open and dumped the carton of orange juice on it. Then he walked back into the house and sat defiantly on the bar stool by the door.

Three hours had passed with no movement in the driveway. The urge to pee hit him and he tried to ignore it as long as possible. _I could just pee in the juice carton … I've done it before on stake outs. Of course, that was when there was no bathroom. The washroom is less than 5 feet from me. Scully would kick my ass if she knew I was peeing in a cup rather than in our john_, he sighed reluctantly and walked into the washroom to relieve himself.

Less than a minute later he emerged from the washroom to find the mailbox standing perfectly upright. 'What the fug?" he exclaimed as he stared out the security glass. He opened the door and walked cautiously down the sidewalk. As he approached the mailbox he could see it was no longer loose from its footing. "How the fug did someone do that, without a shovel or leaving a mess," he mumbled as he stepped closer to the post. Mulder pulled on the post to confirm the firmness in the ground. _It's like I didn't even knock it over_, Mulder thought as he stared at the mailbox. He noticed the flag was still up and pulled the door down. He was about to shut it when he noticed a folded piece of white paper lying inside.

_Crap! _he thought as he padded his pockets for a tissue or something to pick it up with. He reached inside and grabbed the paper, carefully holding it only by the edges and opened it up. _"Be like the others … when it gets dark_" was scrawled in uneven handwriting on the page. Mulder scanned the street again as he closed the mailbox and walked slowly back to the house. The kids in the park had alluded to strange happenings at night and they'd been very evasive about knowing the Kline's or admitting to seeing Big Mike lately. _Bad things happen at night? Interesting. Maybe I should shoot some hoops tonight, _Mulder thought as he walked back into the house.

* * *

Mulder was sprawled on the couch in a deep sleep when his cell phone woke him. "Mulder" he mumbled catching the call on the last ring. 

"Rob honey … last chance for dinner out tonight," Scully said to him in a sing-song voice.

"I take it you are not alone huh?" Mulder replied pushing himself into a sitting position.

"No, I'm over at the coffee shop and I ran into some of our neighbors."

"Well, that's good," Mulder replied yawning. He rolled off the couch and stood, stretching his arm over his head.

"So what is your answer?"

"About what?"

"Ha ha ha. Funny Rob," Scully replied with a fake laugh.

"Oh, that," Mulder mocked. "Nope, sorry Laura, I have to follow up on a lead I got today." Mulder walked into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator.

"All work and no play, poopyhead?"

"Can't you walk away from them or something?"

"He he he, not really," Scully replied and then added in a whisper. "I'm surrounded."

"Hmm interesting…well, I'm still testing my theory from this morning, so I can't join you tonight," he replied as he pulled a frozen pizza out of the icebox. He walked over and turned the oven on and started to remove the pizza from the package. "I found out a few things at the park today from the neighborhood kids. Don't say anything because I think they were skipping school."

"That sounds likely," Scully replied flatly.

"And someone stole pinky!"

"What?"

"Oh, that's good! Act surprised," Mulder replied. "You know, you could use that as an excuse to escape." He listened to Scully grunt in agreement before continuing. "I put the bird in the yard and someone swiped him within five minutes."

"Well, I can see why," Scully replied sarcastically. "He ranked right up there in the bass boat category."

"Yeah, well, then later I found some hate mail in the mailbox," Mulder added.

"What kind of …"

He cut her off in an effort to save her from blowing their secret. "Just a little threat about being careful after dark … which is why I can't meet you for dinner…. I need to investigate why. You go, bond with your brother and have fun. We'll debrief in the whirlpool later."

"Okay Mu…Rob."

"I love you Laura. Kiss Kiss."

* * *

The hollow sound of the ball hitting the pavement and the swoosh of the basketball net was drowned out by the thunderous rumble of the impeding storm that was beginning to roll through the neighborhood. None of it deterred Mulder from making another defiant stance on his street. He could feel the neighbors staring at him through their mini-blinds as he worked up a sweat in his driveway. 

He spied a man and a cocker spaniel coming down the sidewalk in his direction as he rebounded his shot and began to dribble the ball around the driveway. He watched his approach carefully out of the corner of his eye as he made his shot and then looked on in disappointment as the ball spun off the rim and sail down the drive way.

"Hi … whoa, run away ball," the man called as he caught the ball traveling toward him. He was in his mid thirties, short and stocky, brown hair and goatee. He walked up the drive toward Mulder and handed him the ball while extending his hand. "Hi ... it's Rob, right?"

"Yeah," Mulder replied with a cheesy grin on this face. He shook the man's hand and took the ball from him. "And you are?"

"Oh, sorry, Rick Sams. I live four houses down," Rick replied. "This is Taylor," he continued motioning to his dog.

Mulder squatted down on his haunches to pet the dog as she obediently sat next to him. "Hi, cutie," Mulder mumbled not sure if it's gender.

"Well, welcome to the neighborhood. I saw the mob moving you in earlier this week," Rick paused and shared a laugh with Mulder.

"Yeah, they were really helpful," Mulder replied flatly as he stood up.

"Oh, yeah I bet they were. They're a … little too helpful if you want my opinion," Rick cracked rolling his eyes. "Thankfully the whole community isn't like that, just those on the association board."

"Really? Winn Shroeder is on the board then?"

"Yeah, Shroeder, Berlander, Vesch," Rick said pointing toward their houses as he called them out. "There are a couple of others from the other side of the community. The outsiders like to call them _'the anal ones'_," he laughed. "Oh, which reminds me, it's against the rules to have any portable appliances in the driveway."

"Really?" Mulder replied trying to act surprised. "I didn't know."

"Well, it doesn't surprise me. The association is _"fine"_ happy. They'd rather fine the hell outta a person rather than have the decency to give a warning first. Kinda reminds me of... what's the ancient civilization that chopped your hand off if you were suspected of stealing? Same concept," Rick replied with a scowl on his face.

Mulder noted the expression on his face. "Personal experience?"

"Yeah, I'm still licking my wounds. I used to keep my gas grill on the driveway and I was fined for "detracting from the neighborhood beauty"….or some bull-crap thing."

"Interesting description," Mulder mumbled as he looked across the street at the hill leading to the next street. The ground was haphazardly covered with grass and looked like a roadside ditch instead of the pristinely manicured yards across the street. Rick droned on in the background as Mulder scanned the street thinking to himself. They were both jolted by a loud crack of thunder and quickly felt rain drops on their skin.

"Well, look at that? Who says it doesn't rain in California?" Mulder exclaimed as he rolled the basketball into the garage. He walked over to the back of the stand as Rick continued to talk to him.

"Yeah, well, those people who say that don't live in southern California," he replied as he watched Rob begin to move the hoop. "Hey, you want a hand with that?" He motioned for his dog to stay and then help Mulder collapse the stand and push it back into the garage. "Nice Jeep!" he said as he admired the vehicle in the next stall. "I'd better get going before Taylor gets soaked. I'm home most nights, if you want to shoot hoops up at the park sometime," Rick said as he headed down the drive. "I don't want you to get fined for being out of code."

"Yeah, Rick," Mulder replied. "I'll come find you next time I'm ready for a game." As Mulder watched the man and dog run down the sidewalk, he noticed Scully's van coming up the street. He looked at his watch to check the time and opened the door at her bay so she could pull in. "You're home early," he called to her as she stepped out of the van.

"Well, Tara wasn't feeling well, and then Bill got called to take care of something on base. So it turned out to be a quick night," Scully said as she climbed out of the van. She handed Mulder some of her bags and shut the door. "Who was the man running down the street?"

"One of our neighbors… Rick Sams. He lives…"

Scully cut him off. "Four houses down."

"Oh, you've already met him?"

"Not exactly," she replied as she headed for the interior door. "He works with Bill."

"Bill, your brother?" Mulder questioned feeling the blood drain from his face.

"Yeah, Bill my brother," Scully retorted. "How many other Bill's do you and I know?" She walked into the living room and set her packages down on a chair.

"That guy has a goatee, how can he be in the Navy?" Mulder stammered. "He'd be out of regs." _Not to mention his weight_, he thought quietly.

"He's civilian… D.O.D. He works in the Engineering section of Bill's unit," Scully retorted.

Mulder eyed her after the snappy response. "So, how did you find that out? Does he know about our cover?"

"I don't think he knows anything about our cover because Bill didn't even know," he just asked me at dinner what street we were living on and then told me that Sams lived just down the way." She saw the look of uncertainty in Mulder's eyes. "Don't worry, I told Bill that we were undercover using false names and he promised to keep our secret."

Mulder bit his lip and walked into the kitchen. "I think he's a _ringer_. He was very vocal to me about his dislike for the association. I'm not sure he can be trusted...it might have been a set up."

"I doubt it," Scully replied walking to the breakfast bar. "Bill told me Rick has been fined multiple times by the association for rule violations."

"What kind?" Mulder asked.

Scully watched him pick up a piece of cold pizza and stick it in his mouth. "Leaving his trash can outside of his garage, storing his gas grill on the driveway and a couple of other things, it all seems a little unreasonable to me," she replied.

"Anarchy I tell you!" Mulder blurted out and then smiled at her.

Scully smiled and titled her head in thought. "What I don't understand is the balance. Why is he fined and the others disappear?"

"Well, maybe they really pissed someone off," Mulder replied taking another bite of his pizza. "Maybe _they_ are afraid of doing anything to Rick because he is a government employee."

"But how would they know that? He isn't in the Navy, he doesn't leave for work in a uniform."

"He doesn't need the uniform because he has the base identification stickers on his car. Can't get through the gate without them... and they brand the car a mile away."

"Oh, yeah," Scully replied. She yawned and rolled her neck. She sat down on the bar stool and slumped against the back of the chair.

"Long day?" he watched her nod her head. He turned and opened the cabinet pulling out two wine glasses. He walked to the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle, uncorked it and filled up the two glasses up. "Did you pick up the lab samples?" he asked her handing her the glass.

"Umm" she grunted as she took a swallow. "I almost forgot," she stood from the bar stool and retrieved a bag from the living room chair. She pulled a file folder from it and walked to the kitchen side of the breakfast bar to share the information with her partner. "The dried blood and scalp hairs you found on the fan blade?" she prompted him.

"Uh huh?"

"It was neither. It was mostly ketchup, corn syrup and motor oil and the scalp hairs were bristles from a scrub brush," she said handing him the report. She watched him review the lab report and then continued. "The same goes for the sample we found on the dog's muzzle. It broke down to a combination of motor oil, egg shells and a little mercurochrome for color. In other words, it's garbage, Mulder." She scrunched up her nose at the thought of it. "Lieutenant Peters told me this afternoon this entire neighborhood was built on top of an old landfill. The garbage is everywhere."

Mulder nodded his head in response to her, his eyes never leaving the paper. He flipped a page back and forth and then handed the report to her. "Except for the blood I found on the Jeep."

"What about it?" Scully asked taking the file back from him and scanning the page to see what he was talking about.

"It's blood, B negative, in fact," Mulder replied and leaned against the counter deep in thought. "I wonder what Big Mike's blood type is?"

Scully looked up at him. "That shouldn't be too difficult to find out, I'm sure his office has medical records on him," she shrugged. "What makes you think Big Mike pushed the Jeep in?"

"I don't exactly … but the timing is just weird. For all we know, my new friend Rick could have pushed the Jeep in the driveway."

"Not likely," Scully replied.

"How so?"

"Well, you pulled the fingerprint out of the blood stain right? The report says the fingerprint didn't come up on the registry. If they were Rick's we would've had a hit with D.O.D records."

Mulder nodded and took a sip of his wine. He scanned the counter for his cell phone and then walked over to pick it up.

"Who are you calling?" Scully asked as she watched him. She knew that look. _He's up to something _she thought taking another sip of her wine.

"Nester. I'm going to have him check out Big Mike's office," Mulder whispered as the phone rang in his ear. "Nester!" he called to his friend when he answered. Mulder wandered out of the kitchen into the living room during his conversation. After a few minutes of eavesdropping, Scully set her wine glass down and headed upstairs to change for bed.

Twenty minutes later, Mulder walked into the master bedroom and heard the shower running. He walked to the doorway of the bathroom and stuck his head around the corner. The room was hot and filled with steam.

"Scully?" he called into the fog. "I thought we were going to take a whirlpool?"

"Oh..oops," she replied from within the mist. "I forgot, sorry."

Mulder smirked and leaned against the door jam. "Nester said to say hi," he replied.

"Why's he still in the area?" she called out.

"He's visiting his family until next week," Mulder replied a little too loud as Scully shot the shower off mid sentence. "He's more than happy to help us out."

Scully rolled her eyes when she looked over at Mulder. "Yeah, he's still repaying his debt to me." Scully toweled herself off and wrapped herself in her bathrobe before exiting the shower stall. She caught Mulder staring at her body, his eyes glassed over. "What?"

Mulder made eye contact with her and smiled. "All the times we've been intimate and you still cover up around me?" he tilted his head to the side and waiting for her response.

Scully bit her lip and nervously ran her hand across the sash of the robe. "I don't know Mulder, I guess I'm just not comfortable strutting around naked in front of you yet," she replied looking at his chest to avoid eye contact.

Mulder reached for her hand and pulled her close to him. He put his hand under her chin and tilted her face upward to meet his eyes. "It's okay, I like a little mystery." He reached behind him and flicked the light off in the room, then wrapped his arm around her shoulders and led her to the bed.

Mulder stopped at the side and leaned over to shut off the lamp on the nightstand. He cupped Scully's face in his hands and planted small kisses along the side of her face until connecting with her lips. Mulder ran his tongue lightly across the top of her lip before pulling her into him and probing her mouth deeply. He felt her shoulders relax and her hands snake under his shirt, pushing against his tight abdominals to his pectorals. Mulder felt the rush of desire ripple through his veins and felt his arousal grow beneath his warm ups. The fabric resisted its demands and held him in place temporarily as Mulder ran his hands through Scully's hair, pulling the back of her head closer to him to compensate for the feeling.

After a few minutes, he dropped a hand to the sash of her robe and easily untangled the knot. The robe fell open to reveal her swollen breasts and he moved his hand lightly across them immediately. He smiled inwardly as he felt her shudder slightly from his touch. Mulder cupper her breast in his hand and ran his thumb across the nipple firmly. He continued to kiss her deeply, breaking once to run his face down the side of her neck. He felt her hands struggling to untie the draw string of his warm ups and the sensation of the fabric falling as she pushed them down his legs.

Mulder sucked in a breath as he felt Scully take hold of his arousal and begin to stroke it firmly. A memory of the last time he masturbated, thinking of her, flashed through his mind and fueled his need to be close to her. As she stroked his length, their lips met again and he pushed the robe off her shoulders. Mulder ran his thumbs over her nipples and squeezed the nubs as they became hard. He could feel his control slipping and pulled his body back from Scully's grasp to slow things down a bit. He quickly walked her backward to the edge of the bed and pushed her down into a sitting position.

Mulder knelt in front of her as he pushed her legs apart and traced his finger lightly across the top of her mound and through her wet folds. He looked into her eyes and watched as she rolled her head back and moaned his name softly. Mulder dipped his head closer to her body and flicked his tongue over her folds in search of her bud. When he found it, he teased with the tip of his tongue and alternated between sucking it and teasing with his tongue. As Scully moaned above him and ran her hands through his hair, he continued the pressure and increased it when she pushed him closer to her. He heard her gasp and cry out when he slid two fingers into her core and began to thrust them inside of her. Her mound became hot and wet quickly with the combined pressure of his fingers and tongue working against her.

After a few minutes, the need to be inside Scully began to overwhelm Mulder and he sat back on his haunches. She instinctively pushed herself back on the bed allowing Mulder room to climb on top of her. He positioned himself above her and pushed himself firmly into her core. He smiled as he watched Scully's reaction to his girth and then chuckled quietly as he pulled himself all the way out. She squirmed under him, attempting to pull him back to her and he obliged by pushing himself back into her forcefully.

Scully arched her back and tilted her head back as he entered her and he leaned over to place hot kisses down the side of her neck. As they rocked against each rhythmically, their lips met hungrily. It didn't take long for Scully to reach her apex. He felt the flush of her hot center around him and her core open up as she cried out and mumbled his name under her breath. Mulder pushed legs to her chest for a deeper penetration as he increased his speed and climaxed shortly after her. He bit his lip and grimaced as he felt himself release inside of her. He pushed himself into her one last time and then collapsed into the cradle of her legs, breathing heavily at the side of her head.

They lie motionless tangled around each other for what seemed like hours and drifted off to sleep.

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: No infringement intended.

Chapter 5

Saturday

Scully slapped the top of the alarm clock three times in a futile attempt to silence the insistent ringing before she realized it was her cell phone. She felt Mulder's weight against her body as she reached out for the phone and flipped it open to answer it without checking the caller id.

"Hello?" her gravel laced voice crocked out.

"Agent Scully?" A. D. Skinner's voice called to her. "It sounds like I woke you."

Scully squinted at the alarm clock, checking the time before she answered. "Well, yeah, it's only 7 a.m. here sir," she squirmed out from under Mulder's weight and rolled over to stare at his slumbering form.

"Oh, sorry. I didn't take the time zone difference into account. Well, that explains why Mulder isn't answering his phone. I hadn't heard from either of you and wanted an update on the case," Skinner stated flatly.

"I think Mulder is out for his morning run," Scully replied as she shook her partner slightly. She watched his eyes open slowly and put her finger to her lips to keep him from making any loud sounds. "Unfortunately sir, we haven't really made any headway. We've a couple of leads, but it's a work in progress," Scully replied, as she watched Mulder stretch like a cat next to her.

"Considering the San Diego PD worked the case for seven months and didn't have a lead it's not surprising," Skinner said.

"Well, I hope we aren't out here investigating this for seven months," Scully retorted.

"No, I would hope not as well. I think the Deputy Director would have some concerns whether you two were actually working the case or just playing house if it dragged on that long," Skinner said. "Okay, well, I didn't mean to wake you. Just be sure to have a progress report to me via email by Monday morning, Agent."

"Certainly sir," Scully replied. "I'll be working on our case notes later today." She closed the phone and stared at Mulder as he shook the morning cobwebs out. "Hey, sleepy head," she called to him softly as he opened his eyes again.

"Aghh, what day is it?" he growled, twisting his back opposite his knees in another stretch.

"Saturday."

"Just Saturday? Geezus, is this assignment ever going to end?" he muttered in frustration and rolled over onto his back. He stared at the ceiling in silence for several seconds until Scully broke the silence.

"Whatcha thinking 'bout?" Scully asked him as she traced her finger down his chest.

Mulder looked over toward her and sighed. "Nothing... What did Skinner want?"

Scully sighed and pushed herself into a sitting position. "He wanted a progress report."

"Ha! Yeah, I'd like one, too. One that had some substance to it instead of Dear Diary: I have no clue." Mulder laughed and shook his head. He paused for a moment and sat up. "I'm going for a run. You wanna go with me?" He turned and looked back at her, expecting her answer to be no. She didn't disappoint.

"I think I'll pass, Mulder," she replied as she stretched her arms over her head. "I'm going to do the laundry and clean the house instead."

"Okay," he mumbled as he stood up and walked to the dresser. "Suit yourself."

* * *

The thoughts dancing through Mulder's mind during his run were not of his beautiful partner, or on the mystery of the case. He was preoccupied with one thing… the lone piece of quiche he had spied in the fridge when he left on his run. It was all he could think of during his prance through the neighborhood. He could taste its cheesy goodness all warm and bubbly on the tip of his tongue. It made his mouth water in anticipation as he jogged up the driveway and punched in the key code on the garage door entry. He walked triumphantly into the kitchen and yanked open the refrigerator door ready to claim his prize only to find the quiche was missing.

"Aw no!" he mumbled under his breath as he pushed some leftover dishes around inside the fridge, frantically searching for the food item. When he didn't see it, he closed the door and looked over at the counter, scanning for any signs of the plate it had been sitting on in the sink or on the counter top. He even stepped over to the dishwasher and looked inside to see if Scully had stowed the evidence there. When he found no trace of the dish, he headed up the stairs, dejected, but armed with accusations ready to level at Scully.

He found Scully in the bathroom brushing her teeth, still dressed in her pajamas. _So much for her doing the laundry and cleaning the house,_ he mused to himself. _Go ahead, act all coy and innocent,_ he thought as he stared at her standing at the vanity. He could feel his emotions getting the best of him … He was irritated that she ate the quiche …but it wasn't just the quiche that was ticking him off. Perhaps it was suburbia, or his lack of sleep the previous night, or the never ending-no leads case or maybe it was just because he was sick of being _nice. _Whatever the case, today he was just going to be in a funk. _The honeymoon is over,_ he thought quietly.

"Mulder, who ever taught you how to squeeze a tube of toothpaste?" Scully yelled at him once she saw his reflection in the mirror.

Mulder took a deep breath and exhaled slowly_. Excuse me? Lady, you do not want to go there with me today, _he thought as he walked across the room. He pulled his sweatshirt over his head and threw it across the room at the hamper. It missed. He shrugged his shoulders indifferently and walked into the closet to stare at his clothing choices. "What's wrong with the way I squeeze the toothpaste? I put pressure on the tube until the gel comes out and then I smear it onto the brush. It's not rocket science," he replied curtly.

Scully scowled at his tone. "By doing it that way you cut off the supply of toothpaste. When you squeeze from the middle, product gets stuck at the bottom and doesn't come out, which ultimately means you waste money buying more toothpaste."

Mulder rolled his eyes at her argument and sighed heavily. "Well, I beg to differ with you, I have never had an issue emptying the tube of toothpaste nor do I really care how much money I spend on toothpaste."

"You're kinda testy this morning," she remarked. She stared into mirror and the splashed water on her face.

"I just don't appreciate being chastised by you about how I squeeze the toothpaste, especially considering that you ate my breakfast," he retorted. He pulled a pair of jeans off the shelf and grabbed a yellow golf shirt and its hanger off the rack. He walked out of the closet and headed over to the dresser to retrieve his boxers and socks. .

"Excuse me?" Scully questioned as he crossed the room. "What are you talking about? I haven't even left the bedroom since you went on your run."

"Right," he muttered as he opened the dresser drawer and picked over his options lying in the drawer. "Then explain to me how the last piece of quiche was in the refrigerator before I left on my run, but now it's suddenly not there."

Scully walked out of the bathroom to face him. "Mulder, I didn't eat the quiche."

Mulder stared at her in disbelief. _Does she think I'm stupid or something? Of course she ate it! _"Scully, you can admit it if you did. It's not that big of a deal."

Scully put her hands on her hips. "I'm not lying. I did not eat the quiche. I honestly have not left this room since Skinner's phone call."

"Oh, so much for your ... 'I'm going to do the laundry and clean the house' excuse then," Mulder blurted out. "If you didn't want to go on the run with me you should have just said so. You don't have to lie about it," he said deadpan. His voice was raised slightly and he suddenly felt very hot.

"You think I'm lying to you now? Okay! Fine! I didn't want to go on the run with you. And for your information I _was _cleaning the bedroom, not that you would ever notice, I even ran the vacuum cleaner!" Scully fired back at him, eyes blazing with anger.

"So now I'm a slob?"

"Well, if the shoe fits," Scully retorted and headed back into the bathroom. "And while we are on the subject, when are you going to get it through your thick head to put the toilet seat down?"

"Why should I?" Mulder grabbed a bath towel out of the linen closet and walked away from her. He left the room and headed down the hallway to the second bathroom.

"Because it's gross," Scully yelled after him in the hallway.

Mulder stopped in the doorway to the second bathroom and yelled back at Scully who was in hot pursuit of him in the hallway. "No, No, No … It's only gross because you obviously weren't paying attention, sat down on the rim and your cheeks had a close encounter with the water!" He slammed the bathroom door to escape her pursuit. "Don't blame that on me, Dana!"

A look of shock crossed her face. _Dana? Since when are we on a first name basis? _She was mulling it over in her head when she realized he was still yelling at her from behind the closed bathroom door.

"And another thing … why can't you do something about your hair all over the bathroom floor and in the shower drain. You think I'm a slob? Everyday I have to sweep up your hair and clear out the shower drain. If it wasn't for me, you would have had to call Roto Rooter by now to clean the clogged drain!"

"My hair is not long enough to clog the drain," Scully replied defensively. "You must have confused it with your chest hair!" There was silence from the other side of the door. After a few seconds the only sound that could be heard was the flush of the toilet followed by the sound of the shower.

* * *

Scully stared at the morning newspaper reflecting on the domestic squabble she had just had with Mulder. _Was I being bitchy? _she thought to herself as she perused the front page of the paper. _Of course I was bitchy … It's a tube of toothpaste for chrissake. Who gives a crap how it's squeezed? _she mused to herself as she tried to figure out the real reason for their fight.

"I think this place is getting to me," she whispered to no one as she leaned back in the chair. She closed her eyes and replayed "the" relationship conversation she and Mulder had had through her mind.

It wasn't the case or the cookie cutter neighborhood that was getting to her. It was the ugly green monster that burned inside her veins … her jealousy of Diana. Scully couldn't put her finger on why she couldn't stand that woman. Maybe it was the smug grin that was plastered on her face all the time or the fact that she was exactly Mulder's type and had _everything_ in common with him. Mulder had even admitted to Scully that there was still chemistry between them. So was it really Diana that made Scully crazy, or Mulder? She trusted him with her life but was she ready to trust him with her heart?

After she had stormed out of the loft, Scully had driven aimlessly for a while and had let her imagination get the best of her. She talked herself into believing that Mulder had run to the security of Diana's arms after their fight in the loft. Diana never questioned him or challenged his theories, so it would be natural for him to seek solace in her … arms, bed …whatever. When it was confirmed that he had gone to Diana's apartment, Scully turned to someone for comfort as well, someone from her past that seemed all too eager to give it. Ethan.

They had dated off and on for a couple of years before she was paired with Mulder. The relationship had ended after Scully started spending all her time with Mulder on _"cases"._ Through the years, they had always stayed in touch, so when her heart was breaking after "the" fight and when Mulder didn't seem interested in reconciling Ethan was her easy substitute. But for the all reasons that Diana seemed the perfect compliment to Mulder, Ethan was the exact opposite. He was too much like Scully, too controlling, too overbearing, too _OCD_ as Nester had put it. Ethan was a likable guy in small doses, but long term exposure chafed her emotions and annoyed her.

As Scully mused over Ethan and Diana, she continued to flip through the newspaper. A photograph of a couple walking together in a park caught her eye and her mind drifted back to the conversation with Mulder about the "_skeletons in her closet._"

"_I don't understand why you let her get to you like this Scully. It's not like you don't have any former lovers lurking around in your closet." _

"_That's different."_

"_Exactly how is that different? If I remember correctly you went to dinner with that TV guy … what's-his-name …Ethan…before we left on this case," Mulder had questioned her. _

"_I don't want to sleep with Ethan, he and I are strictly friends."_

"_You slept with him once." _

"_Yeah, eons ago … before I met you."_

A light bulb went on in Scully's mind. _How did he know I went to dinner with Ethan? I never told him … unless … oh my god! _Scully could feel her heart beating in her throat. She _had_ gone to dinner with Ethan the night before they left on the case, but she hadn't given Mulder all the details. She had just told him that she was going with a friend. To make sure Mulder didn't see anything on his way home, she had arranged to meet Ethan a block away from the parking garage in the opposite direction that Mulder usually traveled. At the time Scully had chided herself about the lengths she had gone to make sure Mulder didn't find out who she was having dinner with but was grateful after she walked up to Ethan's car. Ethan had surprised her with a bouquet of roses, pulled her into his arms and laid a deep, lip smashing kiss on her. The whole episode had embarrassed her at the time. As she recounted the scene in her head, she felt her cheeks become hot and could sense her ears turning red. _Mulder saw him kiss me … Holy shit! I'm such a hypocrite! Mulder runs to Diana, I run to Ethan … the results are the same! I'm bitchy, I'm OCD and I'm a hypocrite! _Mulder's feet pounding on the stairs pulled her out of her reviver. She watched him carefully over the edge of the newspaper, suddenly feeling like a complete idiot.

"Do you want to go to a movie tonight?" she blurted out of nowhere, surprising herself. It was a peace offering of sorts for everything she had done in the past few months.

"Nope," he replied blankly without looking at her. He walked to the laundry room, retrieved his Doc Martens, and then walked back to the stairs to slip them on.

"Why not?" Scully asked him, staring him in the face.

"Because we're on assignment and one of us needs to stay at the house at all times," he remarked. He put on his shoes and stood up from the stairs, looking for his car keys and the door opener.

"Mulder! That's bull," Scully said. "We've been on assignment before and gone out to a movie."

"When we had solved the case, we haven't solved anything yet," he muttered under his breath. He found the keys hanging on the memo board by the fridge and the remotes in the basket underneath. He pushed his sunglasses onto the bridge of his nose and walked to the garage.

"Where are you going?" Scully asked watching him walk out of the kitchen.

"Out." He walked to the garage and climbed into the jeep as the garage door went up.

"Out where?" There was no response from him. "Mulder!" Scully yelled at him as she chased him to the garage. "You could at least have the decency to tell me where you're going, as I have all this week!" Scully stared at him from the doorway of the laundry room with her hands of her hips.

"I'm going to get some breakfast since you ate the quiche." He started the Jeep up, put it in reverse and backed out of the garage leaving Scully standing in the doorway.

"**I did not eat your friggen breakfast!!**" she yelled at him, emphasizing each word as she said it. As she watched him drive down the street she muttered under her breath, "Idiot!" Ironically, Scully wasn't just commenting on Mulder's behavior.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Mulder was away from the house most of the day, leaving Scully to tend to house duties, laundry, cleaning and unpacking. She worked on their case notes for about an hour and then emailed the file to Assistant Director Skinner. About 5:00 pm Scully decided she needed to get some fresh air. She had beat herself up mentally most of the day for starting the fight this morning, for accusing Mulder of sleeping with Diana, and for just being bitchy these past few weeks. She decided to go to the movie anyway, alone. She left the house just after 5:00 with a plan of getting dinner, doing some shopping and going to the 7:30 show.

Mulder returned to the house about 7:30 p.m. After he'd had breakfast, he'd gone to the FBI field office to work on his case notes and then spent the afternoon golfing with Nester and his brother in law. Mulder had told Nester he was suffering from a severe case of cabin fever and needed some fresh air. Four hours later, after a mild case of sunburn, multiple mosquito bites and several beers, Mulder was in a much better state of mind. He wheeled the Jeep into the drive way and punched the remote in the cup holder to open the door. As the door opened, Mulder noticed the van was gone, which meant Scully was out of the house. A wave of relief rolled over him as he exited the Jeep. He was not in the mood for another confrontation.

Mulder walked into the house and made his way into the living room. _Hmm, she cleaned the place, _he thought as he sat down on the couch. He opened the file folder that he had carried with him from the car and flipped through his case notes again. After an hour, he turned the TV on and channel surfed mindlessly for what seemed like forever. He looked at his watch and noted the time. 9:30. _Where the frick is Scully? _he thought as he stood from the couch. He pulled his cell phone from the clip, started to dial her number and then stopped midway through. _Frick … forget it Mulder, she'll be home soon enough and the next round will begin. I'll go shoot some hoops until she gets home,_ he thought and ran upstairs to get a jacket.

The night was clear and the air crisp as Mulder shot hoops on the portable basketball pole on the driveway. The sound of the ball hitting the pavement echoed through the neighborhood as he dribbled and shot non stop for over an hour. The repetitive movement centered him and drove his irritability over Scully's self-righteousness away. _I think the toothpaste act was just a cover for the quiche, _he thought as he shot from the grass and dribbled the ball. Mulder bounced the ball off the garage door and then went up for a lay up just as the Shroeder's van pulled into their driveway.

Winn Shroeder bailed out of his van and ran over to Mulder's yard like a man on a mission. Mulder watched his approach and tried to toss the basketball to him. He could hear Cami yelling something at him from their yard.

"Hey Winn, wanna play a game of horse?"

Winn caught the ball and threw it into the yard behind Mulder and ran over to the portable hoop. "Dammit Rob, help me get this thing in the garage," Winn said as he started tugging the hoop down.

Mulder ran over and stepped on the base of the pole. "What are you doing Winn?"

"Come on Rob, you gotta get this thing down," Winn replied with a pleading tone in his voice. Mulder noticed the man was as white as a ghost and appeared a little freaked out.

"Why? What's the big deal?" Mulder questioned him, not budging from the base of the stand.

Winn made another feeble attempt to pull the hoop down and then gave up when he realized Mulder wasn't going to move. He looked around with a bewildered expression on his face and then turned back to Mulder. "You've been warned Rob," he stammered.

"Warned about what?" Mulder asked with a laugh staring Shroeder down.

Shroeder was about to answer when Cami let out a blood-curdling scream from the Shroeder's driveway. Mulder immediately went into FBI mode and ran toward the screams, leaving Winn frozen in the driveway.

As he crested the embankment that separated their driveways, Mulder caught sight of a large dark figure looming over Cami. "Stop!" he yelled out as he ran down the hill. The figure turned and ran across the front yard of Shroeder's house and around the corner. Mulder chased the figure around the side of the house and through the backyard. He lost sight of him at the neighbor's lattice fence. He looked around the fence and the corners of the house to see if the subject was hiding in the shadows. Mulder stepped back to scan the yards, looking for any movement in the yards. _Where the frick did he go? _He looked around the yard again and then headed toward the front of the house to where Cami had been standing.

He found Cami and Winn staring at the yard light with bewildered expressions on their faces. "It looks like he got away. You okay Cami?" Mulder asked, and then noticed that the color had drained from their faces. "Winn? Cami?" He waited a second for them to respond. They were staring at the yard light as if in a trance. Mulder looked up at the light, and other than the bulb being broken, found nothing extraordinary about it.

Movement to Mulder's right caught his attention and he caught Cami just as she fainted next to him. He scooped her into his arms and nodded toward the house at Winn who ran to the front door. Mulder carried Cami's unconscious form into the living room off the foyer and laid her gently on the couch. He put a hand to her throat, feeling for a pulse and found it beating strong and fast. He shook her shoulders firmly and called her name.

"Cami?" Mulder called as he continued to monitor her pulse. "Winn, could you get a me a washcloth … wet with cold water?" Mulder directed as he noticed Winn still acting like he was in shock. He watched the man retreat down a hallway to the washroom and he directed his attention back to Cami.

His years of being partnered with Scully were paying off in this moment, as Mulder attended to Cami. Winn returned quickly with the cold washrag and Mulder placed it on her forehead. He shook her shoulder again and repeated her name, noticing that she was beginning to regain consciousness.

"Cami?" Mulder called to her one final time.

"Wha… What happened?" Cami questioned, not understanding how she ended up on the couch.

"You fainted," Mulder replied simply, not understanding what really had taken place in their yard. There was something or someone standing over her ready to attack when he crested the embankment. But where that thing or person went when he chased it was anyone's guess. Based on their reaction, the trance like state and Cami's fainting spell, whatever it was scared the crap out of them.

"Winn?" she stammered looking around the room frantically for her husband.

"I'm right here, Sweetie," he called on his way back from the kitchen. He had a glass of water in his hand and sat next to Cami on the couch, helping her take a swallow from it.

"Winn, I saw…"

"Shhh, Sweetie," Winn comforted his wife. "It's okay." He shot Cami a look and then looked over his shoulder at Rob/Mulder.

"Thanks for your help, Rob," he turned slightly on the couch to face him. "Thanks for chasing the guy away. I think we'll be okay now."

"Are you sure?" Mulder questioned getting the distinct impression that Shroeder was trying to get rid of him. "You should probably file a police report…."

Winn stood from the couch and put his hand on Mulder's shoulder. "No, really Rob … it's okay. I'm just going to sit with Cami for a while and then get her ready for bed." He walked Mulder to the door while conversing.

Mulder held his ground at the door and tried one more attempt to be _helpful. _"Okay, well, the least I can do is change the bulb on your yard light," Mulder said with a hopeful smile on his face.

"No, don't bother. I'll get it later," Winn replied nervously as he ushered Mulder toward it again. "Geez look at the time…you should probably get home to make sure Laura's okay."

"Okay…" Mulder started to say as Winn closed the door in his face. "Fricken weirdo," Mulder mumbled under his breath as he took three steps back from the door. He watched Winn return to the couch and sit next to Cami. They were both oblivious to the outside, so he decided to reinvestigate whatever it was that he had just chased through the yard. He fished a flashlight from his jacket pocket and snuck past the front window of Shroeder's house into their back yard.

* * *

Scully looked at the time on the rclock radio. 10:35 p.m. _Mulder's going to kill me_, she thought as she neared their house. On the way home from the movie she had decided to stop for a drink at the Red Truck Grill. The bartender recognized her from earlier in the week, so one drink quickly turned into two. At three, she was feeling a little tipsy. She bowed out gracefully and called a cab to take her home.

The light was still on in the garage when the cab dropped her off in their driveway. _Mulder must have just got home himself_, she thought as she fished her keys out of her purse and walked to the front door of the house. She came through the foyer and made her way to the coffee table in the living room where she dumped her purse and a shopping bag. She noticed the CC&R binder laying open on the coffee table and picked it up to see what Mulder had been reviewing. The book was opened to the section covering outdoor lighting.

"All homeowners must maintain outdoor security lighting at all times. This includes but is not limited to yard lights, walk way lights, and front door lights. Failing to maintain these appliances could result in fines from the home owners association," Scully muttered, reading the passage aloud. She scanned the next section and then flipped the page to read on. Every paragraph ended in _could result in fines_. "Geezus, Bill was right about the fines around this place," she mumbled as she set the book down.

A footfall on the stairs caught her attention and she looked upward toward the loft. "Mulder? Is that you?" She waited a second for some type of response. There was nothing. _Surely he isn't still mad at me? _Scully thought as she put the binder down the table. A shadow in the upstairs hallway caught her eye and her ears tuned in to pick up another footfall. "Mu … Rob?" Scully waited again for a response and then patted her waistband for her gun. _Frick! It's in my dresser, _she thought as she looked around for something else to defend herself with. She spotted the fire poker hanging in the rack by the fireplace and backed up to grab it.

As her heart pounded in her ear and she felt butterflies in her stomach, Scully made a quick search of the main floor, checking the trap door for the crawl space twice to make sure it was secure. Then she headed upstairs to chase the shadows in the hall. After she had checked the empty bedroom on the third floor, the guest room on the second floor and the master bedroom, she headed down the stairs toward the kitchen when she thought she saw something. First she thought she saw a shadow by the spare bathroom behind her and then she thought she heard a footfall near the kitchen.

When she reached the bottom of the stairs she heard a second footfall and a door close. She felt her pulse rate quicken in her throat and noticed her hands were trembling. _Geezus Scully, cool your nerves! _She took a deep breath as the footfalls became louder and closer to the stairs. Scully pulled the fire poker back like a baseball bat. When she was sure the person was about to walk in front of the stairs she swung the poker with all her strength at the intruder.

"Whoa!" Mulder yelled as he ducked, the poker just missing his head. He put his hand up to deflect the blow and crouched down on the floor in front of the steps.

Scully was horrified that she'd nearly taken off her partner's head and put the brakes on the movement mid-swing. "Sorry, Mulder," she mumbled as she let out the breath she had been holding.

Mulder stood from his crouch and stared at her from the bottom of the step. _What the frick? Why does she look like she just had the begeezus scared out of her? _

"There was someone in the house," Scully finally coughed out.

"Tidying up," Mulder replied as he started up the stairs. He put his arm around her and rested his hand in the small of her back and then ushered her up the stairs to their room. "They put away my basketball hoop. Someone is watching out after us, which might not be a bad thing."

"Why?" Scully asked as he shuffled her into the bedroom.

"I got a good look at that thing that's been scaring everybody. I take it back …this is an X-file."

Scully stared at him dumbfounded and followed him across the room. She listened as he retold the incident with Winn on the driveway, Cami screaming and chasing the creature through the yards. Scully even followed Mulder to the front yard and stood patiently as he tried to find an "outlet" for the creature to materialize out of the dirt. Mulder was convinced the creature lived in the dirt, although she didn't believe it. She had her own theory.

"Mulder, do you want my opinion?" Scully asked quietly.

Mulder rolled his eyes and looked back at her. She had planted the seed for another fight, but his better judgment was telling him to bite his tongue. "Always," he conceded and stood up from the ground. He followed her into the house and watched as she walked over to the breakfast bar.

"This morning after you left I started cleaning the house, doing the laundry and the dishes and what-not," Scully started as she pulled the video camera and a Polaroid photo from the drawer. "I ran the dishwasher and when I was cleaning it out later, I discovered we were missing some dishes, specifically two plates, a fork, spoon and a glass."

Mulder looked at her quizzically. "What are you trying to say? That I left them laying around the house somewhere?"

Scully held up her index finger to silence him and then continued with her explanation. "I also found dirt on the floor by the laundry room door and around the nook. I got a good shot of it on the video camera." She ran the tape on fast forward until she found the spot she was looking for and then handed the camera to Mulder. The footage showed footprints around the trap door and by the garage areas. Mulder looked at the film once and then rewound it and played it back.

Mulder set the camera down and walked over to the trap door leading to the crawl space. "Did you go down here?' he asked her over his shoulder.

"Yes," Scully replied and handed him the Polaroid photo. The photo revealed a "nest" in the crawl space where someone had obviously been living. Their missing tableware was lying on the floor next to a tattered pillow and blanket. "I think it's a pretty safe bet that whoever is living down there ate your breakfast this morning."

"Did you leave the plates down there?" Mulder began. Scully held up her hand again and pulled two evidence bags from the drawer. One contained a plate and the other a juice glass.

"That's my girl," Mulder smiled at her.

"Your girl?" Scully retorted. "Just this morning I was the thorn in your side."

"That was before I went golfing with Nester," he replied calmly. "I needed a dose of the real world to remind me of my purpose here."

"Your purpose on this case or with me?" Scully retorted as she stared at him. He was staring at the photo again and was oblivious to her comment. _He's still pissed at me, _she thought as she set the evidence bags back on the counter top. She looked toward the living room and saw the CC&R book lying there. "I take it you were reading up on the rules after that thing at Shroeder's tonight?"

Mulder looked at her quizzically. "What do you mean?"

"Weren't you looking at the CC&R binder after the incident at Shroeder's?"

"No … I just came back now when you tried to bat me in the head," he replied evenly feeling the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. He followed her to the coffee table and picked up the book.

"Mulder, I found this open on the coffee table when I came home. I thought you were reading it," Scully remarked. "You didn't circle this section on outdoor lighting?"

Mulder scanned the section. "No," he muttered and then pulled his flashlight out of his pocket to get a better look at the page. The section about the security lighting was circled in a shaky thick stroke and there were faint traces of red on the edge of the page.

A thud in the background drew their attention from the book to the direction of the trap door. Mulder held his index finger to his lips and motioned to Scully to "gather" her things and head up stairs. He picked up the case file that was under the binder and followed her to the master bedroom.

Once in the master bedroom he shut the door and started talking again. "I had Nester try to work that lead on Big Mike. He went to the Vet clinic, found a couple of decent prints on Mike's desk and phone and a handwriting sample from one of the patient files." Mulder flipped the file open to the correct page. "Big Mike's blood type is B Negative …. the fingerprint on the jeep? It's a match with the one taken from Mike's office. The handwriting sample is also a match to the note left in the mail box, although the analysts felt the writer was under duress when it was written. I'm willing to guess the prints on that glass and plate are going to come back to Mike as well."

Scully gave him a perplexed look. "What's he doing hiding out in our basement? Why not just stay at his own house?"

"I've been casing the place every morning on my run. It's cleaned out."

"Everything?" Scully whispered not believing him.

"Yep. Furniture, fixtures, even his lawn mower … all gone. It happened the other night."

"So he's living in our basement because he can't go back home? Mulder, that gives me the creeps," Scully said setting the evidence bags down on her desk. She folded her arms at her chest and rubbed her arms as if she was cold.

Mulder smirked a little. "I dunno, just think of it as our own personal protection system. He's obviously trying to tell us something…. leaving the binder open on the lighting page, the rules about the dog, pushing the Jeep in off the driveway." Mulder flipped the file folder to a new page and handed the file to Scully again. "I did a background check on him when I was at the field office this morning. Not only was he one of the original home owners, he was on the association board with Shroeder, Berlanger, Vesch and Gogolak. So maybe he did something to piss off the rest of the board."

"And they killed him for it?" Scully stated as a rhetorical question since Mike obviously wasn't dead.

"Or sent the "monster" there to do it," Mulder remarked.

"Mulder," Scully answered rolling her eyes. "This isn't going to be another case of Mauk Men is it?"

Mulder chuckled and walked to the dresser, pulling open the second drawer. "Ah, now now Scully be careful what you wish for … the Mauk Men turned out to be real." He pulled his service revolver out of the dresser drawer and removed the clip from the gun. He counted the bullets in the clip visually and shoved it back into the gun.

"I don't think anyone ever officially labeled that creature I shot as a Mauk Man," Scully muttered ruefully. "Planning on shooting someone?"

"Yeah, the son-of-a-bitch that ate my quiche," Mulder winked at her. "Wait here." He opened the bedroom door and headed down the stairs to investigate the crawl space.

Scully was nervously pacing the bedroom when she heard the footfall on the stairs. Her mind had run the gamut of possibilities while Mulder was investigating the crawl space and the alcohol in her system wasn't helping much. To say she was jumpy was an understatement. Scully stepped over to the dresser, pulled her service revolver from its holster and stepped to the wall between the door and the closet, holding the gun behind her back. Mulder entered the room and shut the door. He was dirty but otherwise intact.

He noticed she was trembling and caught sight of the gun as she tried to hide it. "Were you drinking tonight?" he asked as he stepped over to her and pulled her chin up to meet his gaze. He could smell the liquor on her breath, although it was obvious she had tried to hide it with spearmint gum. He watched her eyes for the involuntary jerking movement that was the basis of all sobriety tests and took the gun out of her hand. "You seem a little jumpy."

She ducked her head as he took the gun from her and swallowed hard. _Busted! _she thought in her head, wishing that he hadn't noticed. "I stopped for a drink at the Red Truck Grill on the way home from the movie."

"Just one?" he replied shutting the dresser drawer. "I'm no expert, but I'd have to say you would probably test over the legal limit right now."

"I'm fine, Mulder," she snapped.

"Uh, huh," he thought leaning back on the dresser._ Oh, we're back to that again? _He stared at the floor for a moment. _You're not fine,_ he thought. "So what's this really about then?" he asked her.

"What?"

"It's not like you to drink on a case … and it's affecting your judgment. First you try to bat me in the head and then you pull your gun?"

"Mulder, I thought I heard someone … something," she implored, getting impatient with his questioning. Scully could tell he didn't believe her. "It's nothing. I'm fine."

Mulder stared at her for a second, not believing her in the slightest. He could feel the hair on the back of his neck tighten. He could pick this apart with her right now, like she had that morning with him over the toothpaste, or he could let it drop. He chose the latter.

"Okay," he replied slowly. "I'm going to spend the night in the living room to see if our friend makes a return visit to the basement." He pushed off the dresser, leaned over the bed to grab the pillow and walked over to the door. "I take it you'll be fine up here alone?" he asked, looking over at her.

"Yeah, Mulder," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "I'll be fine."

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

No Infrigment bla bla bla bla ...

Chapter 6

Monday morning

"Ouch" Scully moaned as she rolled over on her side. The skin on her back and legs was on fire from the sunburn she had suffered on Sunday. Nester had invited the two of them for a day on his sister's boat. Clear blue skies and temperatures in the low eighties made it a hard offer to pass up, so she and Mulder had packed up the Jeep and headed to the bay.

Scully had slathered on the sun block multiple times, but her fair skin, red hair and blue eyes made her a magnet for the rays. Between swimming, sweating and just lounging around, she still managed to earn herself a pretty raw burn. She kept denying the severity of it, telling herself it didn't hurt, but after suffering all night, she was now paying the price.

Not only were her legs and back on fire, but the skin felt taut and her muscles ached. Despite that, she felt like she was burning up and could feel the heat radiating from her skin. She was feverish and chilled. It was obviously heat exhaustion. She was also beginning to wonder if she had an intestinal virus as well. She had all the classic symptoms: nausea, aches, and a searing headache.

"Mulder," she moaned as she pushed herself into a sitting position on the bed. She wrapped the sheet around her limbs for warmth and moments later pushed it off. She was restless and uncomfortable. "Mul…" she started to whine when she saw him breeze through the door with a large glass of water.

"Relax, Scully," he said calmly seeing the distressed expression on her face. "I was gone less than five minutes." He set the water on the nightstand and held the thermometer in his hand. "Are you going to be cooperative or am I going to have to manhandle you to use this?"

Scully rolled her eyes and looked at him in disgust. "Like you would even try to stick that digital thermometer up my butt," she scowled. "God... just shove it in my mouth and get it over with!" She opened her mouth and waited in anticipation of the medical instrument.

"Scully! Dear Diary, today Scully talked dirty to me," Mulder chuckled as he put the thermometer in her mouth and watched her close her lips around it. He plumped up the pillows behind her and walked into the bathroom to get a bottle of Tylenol.

Scully smiled weakly as she realized the innuendo and slumped on her side against the pillows staring blankly at the nightstand. She caught sight of Mulder as he walked back toward the bed with the Tylenol in his hand. The device beeped after a minute and he reached over to pull it out of her mouth.

Mulder stared at the small digital display and furrowed his eyebrows.

"What's the verdict?" Scully mumbled as she pulled the sheet around her chest.

He looked down at her and noticed she was trembling. "100.1," he said as he sat down on the bed. He flipped the lid of the Tylenol and dumped two pills into his hand. He reached over for the water and handed her the pills. "Here, take these. They'll help with your fever."

"Okay, Dr. Mulder," Scully chuckled as she leaned taking the pills and water from him. She swallowed half the glass and then handed it back to Mulder. "I feel like crap," she mumbled lying back against the pillow.

"Really?" Mulder replied. "I wonder what the real culprit is … the sunburn or …"

Scully held her hand up to silence him. "Stop." She felt the tell-tale lurch in her stomach and knew the water was on its way out. She put a hand over her stomach and started breathing like she was in labor to try to settle the cramping. It didn't work.

Mulder chuckled aloud and then noticed her face had lost its color and she was taking short shallow breaths. "Scully?" _She's going to barf,_ he thought as he got out of her way. Not a moment too soon as Scully rolled off the side and made a bee line for the bathroom. Mulder winced as he heard the gagging coming from the other side of the wall. After a few minutes he heard the toilet flush and all was quiet in the bathroom.

He walked to the doorway and peered in. Scully was lying on the floor curled in the fetal position. He stepped over her and helped her to her feet and then walked her back to the bed.

"Mulder, I feel like crap," Scully whined as she settled down on her side.

"I get that," he replied. "You'll feel better later, I promise."

"Why is it that when I'm taking care of you, you are critically injured, but when you are taking care of me its for something dumb … like a sunburn or…"

"A hangover?"

"Ha, ha... not! I hardly had anything to drink. …I think it was the potato salad," she countered as he pulled the blanket over her chest.

Mulder laughed. "I ate the potato salad and I didn't get sick. Besides it doesn't take much in the hot sun.… you know that," he replied putting his hand on her forehead. Her skin was hot to his touch. "You're nauseous because you're dehydrated. You need to get some fluids in you." He walked into the bathroom and checked the medicine cabinet for something to calm her stomach. He spotted a box of Pepto Bismo tablets, pulled two packets out of it and the headed back to the bed with the packets and a towel. He sat down on the bed, ripped the packet open and handed it to her with the glass of water.

Scully stared at the glass and the pink tablets sitting in his hand. Just the thought of chewing the wintergreen flavored chalk tabs caused her to gag and she turned her head as her stomach lurched again.

"Ugh, Mulder," Scully protested putting her hand up to block him. "I can't, just thinking about chewing them is going to make me barf."

"Do you want me to go to the store and get the liquid instead?"

Scully gagged involuntarily at the thought of the thick pink liquid in her mouth. Mulder handed her the towel as she coughed and sat upright on the bed. She held her hand up, swallowed and took a couple of shallow breaths before she responded to him again. "No, then I will barf," she replied closing her eyes and willing her stomach to settle on it's own.

Mulder moved around on the bed so he was sitting behind her and handed her the pink tablets. "Come on," he said with a comforting tone to his voice. "You'll feel much better if you take these."

"Liar," Scully retorted. She relented only because she knew he was right. She took the tablets out of his hand and put them in her mouth, quickly breaking them up until she could swallow them. She drained the remaining water out of the glass and then leaned back into Mulder's embrace. Scully pulled the blanket around her shoulders for warmth and took shallow breaths as her stomach reacted to the medicine. She could feel Mulder stroking her hair comfortingly and relaxed as his heartbeat lulled her quietly to sleep.

* * *

Monday afternoon 

The outdoor temperature was in the mid seventies, the sky was clear and the sun warmed the patio as Mulder stood just outside the sliding glass door soaking in the rays. He stood on the decorative cement slabs barefoot and looked at his backyard. _What kind of freakin' system prohibits the use of lawn furniture? _he thought as he stood there. _You might as well live in a high rise apartment with no balcony in that case. _He walked back into the house, grabbed the newspaper and dragged a bar stool out to the patio to sit on. _Far be it for me to follow the rules,_ he thought defiantly as he settled onto the seat.

He was thoroughly engrossed in his reading and didn't hear the approach of the neighbor kid through the grass.

"Hey, Rob!"

The voice startled him and he jumped in his seat.

"Sorry, dude, I didn't mean to scare you," the kid said laughing at Mulder's reaction.

"Hey Ben, didn't anyone ever tell you not to sneak up on old people?" Mulder quipped folding up the paper. The thirteen year old brown haired boy was dressed in shorts, gym shoes and a t-shirt and was carrying a basketball. "Aren't you supposed to be in school?"

"No," Ben replied with a 'know it all' sarcastic tone. "I'm home schooled and I'm done. I'm going to the park to shoot hoops. Do you want to go?"

Mulder glanced back at the house and hesitated for a moment. Scully was sleeping and hadn't thrown up for over an hour. Every window on the lower level was open, letting the fresh air in, but what the heck. He mentally shrugged his shoulders. _She's an adult, _he thought as he stood up. "Yeah, sure. Just let me get some different shoes on," Mulder said slipping back into the house.

He emerged a few minutes later dressed in Knicks shorts, a Nike t-shirt and gym shoes. Together he and Ben made their way up the park. They played a few games of horse and one-on-one and then relaxed on the side of the court.

"So, you're home schooled, huh?" Mulder said breaking the ice to start the conversation. "That must be kinda lonely for ya around here during the day."

Ben shrugged his shoulders and rolled his head. "Kinda, I ride my bike a lot and go exploring. The rest of the kids get home around 3 and then I hang out with them up here."

"Exploring, huh?" Mulder questioned trying carefully not to be too obvious. "I go exploring a lot. Up in the mountains and in caves and stuff. Where do you go around here?"

Ben pointed to the far end of the subdivision that was still under construction. "Down there mostly, I used to go up here with my friend Zack, but …" he stopped abruptly and then bit his lip and then nervously looked away.

"But what?"

"He moved away," Ben looked at the ground and changed the subject. "Why don't you have a job?"

Mulder laughed and lay back on the grass. "Because I'm a big kid and I don't feel like working."

His answer made Ben laugh. "Well, what do you do all day?"

"Oh, I'm like you. I research stuff and explore," Mulder replied nonchalantly. "And hang out at the park with cool people." With a little coaxing, Mulder was able to get Ben to relax again, and after a few moments brought the conversation back around to the exploring topic again. He nonchalantly brought up the crawl space to see if Ben would say anything about it or Big Mike.

"You have a crawl space in your house?" Ben asked, zoning in on the bait like Mulder wanted.

"Yeah, don't all the houses?" Mulder replied casually..

"No, just a couple," Ben replied. "The lucky ones."

"What do you mean by that?"

"The houses with the crawl spaces are linked to the circle by tunnels," Ben blurted out. "There's cool stuff down there …like cars and…" Ben abruptly stopped talking and his eyes bugged out. He looked around nervously, pursing his lips.

"What's wrong?" Mulder asked, very aware that Ben had just told him a secret that he was not supposed to reveal. _A secret that probably got his friend whacked, _Mulder thought, remembering that the first missing person report was on a single mother and her ten year old son.

"Ahhh, nothing…. I gotta go." Ben swallowed hard and started to get up.

"Hey, why … did I say something wrong?" Mulder asked in a calming tone. "I won't tell anybody if it's supposed to be a secret," he said reassuringly.

Ben looked around nervously and then locked eyes with Mulder/Rob. There was something about this man that inspired his trust. The look in his eyes was that of a protector. Ben shrugged his shoulders and relaxed. "Please, don't say anything Rob. Please? It's supposed to be a secret," he whispered quickly. "I'm not supposed to know about it."

"Hey, it's okay," Mulder said softly watching Ben's face flush and his hands begin to shake. "I'm the new guy around here … nobody talks to me. I promise I won't say anything."

"I could get in big trouble, because that's where the monster lives," Ben whispered. "When _they_ find out you know, the monster gets you," he added, his voice barely audible.

The screeching sound of the brakes on the school bus caught Ben's attention, and he turned his head to watch the neighborhood kids exiting the bus. The quiet park setting was overtaken by children laughing and yelling playfully in the background. Ben looked back at Mulder and stood up quickly. "I gotta go. You promise not to tell?"

Mulder sat up and gave him the Boy Scout sign across his chest. "Scouts honor. It'll be our secret, Ben." Mulder watched the boy run across the playground to meet up with his friends as they got off the school bus. He pushed himself up from the grass and headed back to his house via his neighbors' backyards. He walked slowly, like a man with no cares in the world, but he was far from that. Based on Ben's revelation, Mulder had a little exploring of his own to do.

* * *

Mulder dropped into the crawl space and scanned his surroundings with his flashlight. The area was bare, except for the blanket and pillow, just as it had been the last time he was down there._ I wonder where Big Mike goes during the day_? Mulder thought to himself as he crawled along the wall, inspecting each concrete slab carefull_y. It's not like he has a job_. When he got to the corner of the wall, directly under the kitchen, he stopped and looked around the small room. He stared at the blanket lying on the floor and crawled over to examine it more closely. When he picked it up, he noticed it was covering a separate cement panel. He also found a very large footprint near the panel. 

"Hmm, what do we have here?" Mulder muttered as he waved the flashlight beam over the panel.

The panel appeared to be like all the others in the basement, with one small difference. When Mulder tapped on it and the one next to it, the sounds were different. This one echoed a little, like nothing was behind it. Mulder put a little pressure on the panel and was intrigued to find that it moved slightly. He pushed the panel down a little harder this time and was surprised when the panel popped up. _Like a jack in the box, _he thought as he pulled the panel to the side.

He peered into the hole and moved the flashlight beam around to illuminate the sides. It appeared to be a tunnel, just as Ben said. Mulder put the flashlight in his mouth, braced his arms against the side of the opening and leaned into the hole, surveying the tunnel below. He could see sewer and water lines running along the top of the tunnel. _Looks like someone took the liberty of expanding on what the city started,_ he thought as he prepared to drop himself through the opening. The opening was as big around as the standard manhole, allowing Mulder to drop through easily. He hit the ground on his feet and looked back up at the opening, calculating his exit later. The opening was just out of his reach, so he guessed he had dropped about eight feet to the ground. _How the frick does Big Mike fit through that? I barely fit through it … and he's friggen' huge, _Mulder thought as he scanned the opening, wall and floor with his light. When he had figured out his exit he turned to his left and followed the tunnel in the direction of Shroeder's house.

As the tunnel neared Shroeder's house it veered off and branched out to smaller tunnels. Mulder tried to follow one, but found that it narrowed to the point of being impassable. Mulder doubled back to the opening to try the tunnel the other way. When he neared the hole, the flashlight beam caught the edge of something which from a distance appeared to be a person.

Mulder did a double take. _What the frick? _he thought as he swept the light across the tunnel in front of him again. He stopped moving and stood still for a second, listening for movement. The silence of the tunnel was deafening, but Mulder's heartbeat pounded in his ear, amplified by his fear of what might be sharing the small space with him. He instinctively reached for his gun, only to discover that he hadn't brought it with him.

Mulder called 'uncle' first and crept quietly to the opening, still sweeping the tunnel for any movement in front and behind him. The feeling of a million eyes fell upon him and he jerked his head nervously. _Why didn't I bring my gun with me? _he wondered as he hastily stepped over to the opening. He made one final sweep of the tunnel before he made a leap, grabbed the edge of the hole he'd arrived through, found a foothold on the wall, and half-pulled, half-pushed himself back into the safety of his basement.

* * *

"Ouch!" Scully moaned as she rolled onto her back and looked up at the ceiling. She felt an odd sensation of déjà vu and turned her head to look at the alarm clock. The display read 5:30. Scully rubbed her eyes in disbelief. _It's not really 5:30, I'm dreaming_, she thought as she closed her eyes. _There's no way I slept all day. _

Scully had begun to doze off again when she heard the floor creak just outside her room. She looked over at the door just as it moved, as if someone had pulled it closed from the outside. She felt the hair on the back of her neck stand on end and somehow just knew that something wasn't right.

"Rob?" she called as she sat up from the bed. There was no answer from the hallway, but as she sat quietly she was sure she heard a footfall on the stairs. Scully slowly crawled out of the bed and stepped over to the dresser. She pulled her gun from its holster and pulled the safety off. She crossed the room to the door and stood to the side as she inched it open.

The hallway was empty as she tilted her head and peered out from the doorway. She held her weapon in front of her body like a security blanket as she walked down the hallway to the spare bedroom and checked the second bathroom. The rooms were empty. She made her way back to the top of the stairs and stood quietly, listening for any noise.

"Rob?" she called again, looking over the railing. There was no answer. She swallowed hard and began her descent. She felt more confident than she had the other day. The cool black steel of her gun resting comfortably in her grip was reassuring to her, an extension of her ability to defend herself. At the landing Scully paused a moment and heard a loud thump. She felt her heart beating in her throat as she flattened herself against the wall, temporarily forgetting about her sunburn. The friction of the wall against her burn caused her to flinch and she leaned forward in pain and dropped her gun down to her waist.

"Ouch," she cursed under her breath. "Frick!"

"What are you doing out of bed, G-woman?"

Scully snapped upright bringing her gun to shoulder height and stared straight ahead at the voice. "Mulder! Geezus!" She put the gun down and relocked the safety. "You scared the crap out of me," she muttered.

He stood with his hands in the surrender pose in front of his face laughing at her reaction. When she put the gun down, he relaxed his hands.

"I don't know Laura. Saturday you tried to bat me in the head and today you want to shoot me … I'm going to start taking it personally," Mulder said, watching her carefully.

"Funny," she replied sarcastically. She looked up the stairs and shook her head. "I thought I heard someone in the hallway." She shuddered. "This place is giving me the creeps." She walked down the rest of the stairs and climbed into a bar stool, setting her gun on the breakfast bar.

"You're letting your imagination get the best of ya," Mulder asked her as he took a seat on the stool next to hers. "Feeling any better?"

"A little," she mumbled and looked over at him. "What did I miss today?"

"Nothing much," Mulder remarked. "I cut the grass and blew all the clippings onto the street. While I was trimming around the bushes in the backyard, I ran into Sissy Vesch. She gave me some aloe-vera to put on your burn."

"Hmm. Did she ask us to dinner again?" Scully asked.

"Yeah, tomorrow night if you're feeling up to it," Mulder replied, running his hand down her arm. He could still feel the heat radiating from her skin and leaned over to pick up a thermometer lying on the counter.

"That's fine. They seem like a nice normal couple," Scully replied as Mulder stuck the thermometer in her mouth.

"Oh, and the welcome wagon lady. Pat Berlander, stopped me on the way back from the park to _see_ how things were going," Mulder arched his eyebrows.

"Nozee," Scully mumbled through her lips.

"Yeah, everybody is watching us," Mulder replied. _In more ways than one,_ he thought to himself. He reflected on his visit to the "_underground_" and Ben's comments about cars and the "_monster"_ being down there. He decided not to tell Scully about his discovery just yet. _No reason to get her any more on edge. The next thing I know I'll wake up with a bullet in my chest, _he thought as the thermometer beeped. He pulled it from her mouth, squinted at the display and then handed it to her.

"100.1." He bit his lip and ran his hand through her hair. "Are you hungry?" he asked trying to distract her from her temperature.

"Not really," Scully mumbled setting the thermometer on the counter. She leaned over to rest her arms and head on the cool granite.

"I have dinner in the oven," Mulder said not taking "_no_" for an answer. "How 'bout you take a cool shower, while I finish cooking and then I'll rub this cream all over your back?" He arched his eyebrows at her and gave her a sly smile.

"That's an offer I almost can't refuse," Scully replied looking up at him out of the corner of her eye.

Scully reluctantly went along with Mulder's proposal and staggered up the stairs to take his recommended cool shower. She reappeared in the kitchen 20 minutes later dressed in clean pajamas and looking slightly more refreshed.

"Madam? Your dinner is served," Mulder said, pretending to be the butler.

"You're a butler now?" she questioned as he walked her to the dinning table. After he settled her into a chair, he brought her a plate of baked chicken, mashed potatoes and carrots with a large glass of ice water.

"You made this?" Scully said as he set the plate in front of her.

"My mother's sure fire cure for the flu," he said proudly as he stood next to her.

Scully moved the food around on the plate with her fork and made a face. "I don't know if I can eat it. My stomach is still queasy," she said looking up at him.

"Just try," he said. "You need to eat something."

Scully looked over at him quizzically. "You are starting to sound like a parent, _Rob,_" she said. "It's scaring me."

He leaned over and kissed her on the top of her head. "I'm just trying to be a good husband."

While Scully picked at her dinner, Mulder changed the sheets on their bed, ran the washer and cleaned up the bathroom. When he finished, he went downstairs to check on her progress with dinner and found her lying on the couch. Mulder ran his hand gently down her back to wake her.

"Hey," he said sitting down on the couch as she looked up at him. "The bedroom is cleaned up."

"Who are you? What did you do with my partner?" Scully questioned him. "You look like him, but you don't act like him. You're too domestic."

"Geezus, Nester was right," Mulder mumbled under his breath

"What's that supposed to mean?" Scully snapped at him.

_Oh, the real Scully **is** inside there, whew, I was starting to get worried the heat had gone to her head,_ he thought as he laughed aloud. "Nothing, he just told me that you had a tendency to get delusional when you weren't feeling well."

"Delusional? You think I'm delusional?"

"Uh huh. And cranky," Mulder answered. He wagged a bottle of Tylenol in front of her face. "Take two of these and then I'll rub the lotion on your back."

"Ugh, I don't want anymore medicine."

"You need to take this. You still have a temperature."

"Mulder, no. I'm fine. I'm just sleepy," she argued.

"Scully, you're not fine," he replied firmly. "If your fever doesn't break in a couple of hours I'm going to take you to the doctor."

"You can't Mulder, you'll blow our cover," Scully countered.

"Not if I take you to the base."

"Mulder, I'll be fine," she said flatly pushing herself into a sitting position on the couch.

"You keep arguing with me like that, I'll call your brother over," Mulder retorted as he handed her the Tylenol and a glass of water.

Scully mulled over the comment and bit her lip. _Call my brother? Was that a threat? _She didn't want to find out. The thought of Bill, in his big brother mode, ganging up with Mulder against her wasn't a very pleasant thought. She reluctantly took the water from him and tossed the pills in her mouth.

* * *

Monday night 

10:30 p.m.

Scully shuffled out of the bathroom after brushing her teeth and found Mulder lying on the bed.

"Scully, did you pick this mattress out?" he asked as he rolled around trying to get comfortable.

"Personally pick it out? I think I pointed to a mattress," she answered, crawling in next to him and pulling up her top so he could rub more aloe vera on her back. "Why?"

"Cuz it's as hard as rock," Mulder replied, squirting the lotion onto his hand. He rubbed his hands together to warm the liquid and then ran them the length of her back.

"You don't seem to have a problem sleeping on it," Scully mumbled as she relaxed under his gentle pressure. "A firm mattress is good for your back."

Mulder was silent as he massaged the cream into the red skin on her back. The heat was dissipating and her fever had finally broken. The last reading had been just 99 degrees. Despite the fact that she would never admit it, the dinner had done her good and her color was finally coming back. His mind raced back to the tunnels and Ben's comment about cars down there. He had more investigating to do, but it was all coming full circle, literally. He sighed and stopped rubbing Scully's back.

"Scully, remember what you said the other day about this place being built on a garage dump?"

"Yeah."

"Well, what if the Klines are still here," Mulder ventured, leading her to his new revelation.

"What do you mean … like buried in the yard?"

"Yeah."

"Well, I guess it's a possibility, but how are you going to investigate it?"

"Dig a hole."

Scully rolled her eyes at his sarcastic comments. "Well, duh! You think I'm stupid or something?"

"What?" he answered innocently.

"Mulder, the minute you bring in a forensic team, our cover is blown," she replied rolling over to face him.

"I'm sure there's a way around that," he replied flatly.

"How? It's not like you're going to find a secret passage to the underground in our basement," Scully scowled at him.

Mulder chuckled at the irony of her comment. _Oh yeah? _"Well, I wouldn't rule it out. How do you think Big Mike gets in and out of our basement?"

Scully shook her head. _Men! _"Mulder, Big Mike obviously gets in and out of our house via the garage door. He eats all the leftovers in the fridge… shhh. He probably eavesdrops on all our conversations and knows that we aren't who we say we are."

Mulder thought about it for a moment. _That's how he knew the keypad code … he heard Scully and I talking about it. So our cover is probably already blown with him …. which is probably why he keeps protecting us and giving those hints about the rules … leading me to the truth. The truth is out there, just waiting for me to find it. _

"Well, he better not eat the leftover chicken or I'll be really mad," Mulder said flatly.

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: No infringement, bla bla bla

A/N: Thanks for all the great reviews!!! It's fun to keep people hanging on the edge!

Chapter 7

Tuesday Morning.

Nester pulled his truck into the driveway at the Petries residence, rap music blaring loudly from the stereo, and revved the engine before he cut it off. The lanky Asian FBI agent was dressed in baggy shorts, flip flops and an oversized tank top. The reflective Ray Ban sunglasses firmly planted on his face were secured to his neck with a fluorescent green keeper.

"Nice truck," Mulder commented as he walked down the sidewalk to greet his friend. He had called Nester while on his run that morning and invited him over for a little hunting expedition. He'd asked him to to dress the part, of course.

Nester laughed. It was an old International Scout pickup on a lift kit with huge tires. The chassis was at least four feet off the ground. It was painted orange with black racing stripes running up the middle of the hood.

"Ya like that?" Nester smiled. "It's my nephew's."

"Oh, yeah, that fits right in with the neighborhood," Mulder said as he walked around the truck. "We might need to take a test drive later," he added, nodding approvingly at his friend's ride. He noticed Shroeder's van out of the corner of his eye and watched nonchalantly as his neighbor crept down the street past the Petries house.

"Everyone's looking," Nester commented, staring at the neighbor behind the security of the sunglasses. He reached in the truck and pulled out an oversized duffle bag, slinging it over his shoulder.

"I'm sure he isn't finding it aesthetically pleasing," Mulder replied as he and Nester walked to the front door of the house. "I'll probably get more hate mail in my mailbox later."

Nester walked into the foyer and looked around at the house. "Nice place," he said nodding his head. "Not exactly your style … looks like something Dris would live in."

"Yeah, it wears on you, too…. _Laura _said I was getting too domestic yesterday," Mulder grimaced and arched his eyebrows.

"Where is she anyway?"

"She went to breakfast with the "_ladies_" and then she's running some errands, which should give us a couple of hours."

"You tell her about …." Nester started inclining his head.

"Not exactly," he sighed heavily. "She's been a little jumpy the past few days. I'm concerned that she is getting a little too close to this case. And yesterday wasn't a good day … major sunburn and sick to her stomach. I don't want to say anything until I have proof. Did you bring the gear?"

Nester set the bag down and unzipped it to reveal the state-of-the-art mobile video equipment. "Lock and load, baby," Nester proclaimed, handing the unit to Mulder. He pulled a pair of jeans, a t-shirt and Caterpillar work boots from the bottom of the bag and excused himself to the washroom to change. By the time he emerged, Mulder had the unit ready to go and helped Nester into the utility jacket that doubled as a bullet proof vest.

Nester shrugged his shoulders to adjust the vest and was fiddling with the camera on the ear piece when he turned to talk to Mulder. "I didn't bring audio … I hope we don't need it."

Mulder had placed the monitor for the mobile unit in an empty cabinet above the breakfast bar and was fiddling with the adjustments when he looked up at his friend. The sight of the camera and mini flashlight hanging off Nester's ear caught him off guard and he burst out laughing.

"What?" Nester questioned him.

"You look like a Borg," Mulder chuckled. "Resistance is futile," he said, mocking the famous Borg tag line.

"Dork," Nester replied with a smirk. "How's the video feed?"

"Crystal clear," Mulder answered. He adjusted the display one final time and shut the cabinet doors. He slipped on his own utility jacket, slid the holster for his gun onto his belt, and then secured his weapon into it. Mulder handed an extra ammo clip to Nester and stuck one for himself in his back pocket. "Okay, that's it. Let's go." He motioned to the trap door and took the lead into the crawl space.

The two men dropped into the tunnel and started their trek through the labyrinth below the street. Mulder carried a government issued GPS tracking device and a map of the neighborhood in his utility vest pocket for reference. They walked in the direction of Big Mike's house first, checking for any anomalies in the underground terrain. They had been searching the area about 15 minutes when Nester finally broke the ice between them.

"So you and Scully seemed to have worked things out," he blurted out. "You were rather 'friendly' on Sunday."

"Yeah. I guess you could say that we're back to couple status," Mulder answered. "There are still a couple of open wounds though."

"Like …."

Mulder paused and looked over at his friend. "Like … she thinks I slept with Diana."

"Recently?"

"Yeah, the night of our fight," Mulder replied.

"You banged _the Fowl_ the night of the fight?" Nester questioned him in disbelief.

"No, idiot … I didn't sleep with Diana that night! Scully thinks that because I was with her…just like you and Dris did when I told you at the bar," Mulder grumbled. "Sometimes I can't figure her."

Nester nodded in silence as he walked. "What part? Her jealousy fueled imagination? Or the fact that, if left alone with Diana in a small room, Scully would scratch her eyeballs out?"

Mulder started laughing and shook his head. "All of the above."

"Well, for the record, man to man … When was the last time you screwed Fowley?"

Mulder tilted his head as he thought about the question. "The day we left for Galena."

"And does Scully know that?"

"Hell, no! I've never discussed it. In fact, I rarely talk about Diana around Scully because it ticks her off," Mulder replied. The tunnel began to narrow in front of them and he stepped behind Nester and the video camera to allow him to lead the way.

"Well, my suggestion is that you keep your relationship with _'the fowl'_ on a work basis only from now on," Nester called back to him. "Sometimes you need to pick your battles, and that doesn't seem like one worth fighting, especially since she keeps interesting company these days."

"I have kept my distance from Diana lately, but I don't think I should have to cut my ties with her," Mulder commented as he walked. He kept scanning the sides of the tunnel for a sign of something. "We're just friends."

"Dude," Nester retorted. "Scully is jealous and she isn't going to get over it. If you want less drama in your life you need to set the bird free."

"Okay, that's the part that I don't get … the jealousy factor. Why is she jealous over Diana? She went to dinner with her former boyfriend before we left on this case and I'm not jealous."

"Was he hitting on her right in front of you?" Nester replied sarcastically

"Not exactly … And by the way, Diana does not hit on me right in front of Scully," Mulder remarked defensively.

"Oh, no not right in front ... just off to the side!" Nester laughed. "Where everyone else can see!"

"Enough about Diana!" Mulder's feathers were ruffled. _I get it already_, he thought as he trudged behind Nester. The passage opened up to a Y intersection in front of them.

"Where are we?" Nester asked, nodding his head toward the street.

Mulder fished the GPS tracker out of his pocket and scanned the display along with the map. "One street east and about eight blocks south of my house. We're about two streets from Gogolak's place and about five blocks south of the park." Mulder looked at the display and then up at the top of the tunnel. "Let's head to the left first." He pointed in front of them to the left.

Nester started off down the left passage, walking in silence as they went. He noticed that the walls of the tunnel were different here than in the stretch of tunnel by Mulder's house and he stopped to look at them more closely. The dirt seemed moist here, as if it had recently been disturbed.

"Hey, Mulder," he waved his friend over. "Notice the dirt is different here."

Mulder pulled on a pair of latex gloves and dug his fingers into the wall. He pulled his hand back and noticed a red substance mixed in with the dirt.

Nester stared down at his hand. "Is that blood?"

Mulder moved it around on his gloved hand. "Hard to tell. It looks like the stuff that was on the back of the Jeep … but, considering this place was built on a garbage dump, it could just be strawberry jelly." He dumped the dirt into an evidence bag and stuffed it in his pocket.

"It's different down here, though," Nester pointed out. "Up by your place it's dry and set. This looks like someone over watered it."

"Or just planted something in it," Mulder commenting looking at the subdivision map.

"Looks like 671 Maple Drive should be right here. I wonder if the residents are at home or if anyone has seen them lately," Nester remarked looking over Mulder's shoulder.

"Maybe they coiled their garden hose the wrong way," Mulder joked. "Or worse, had patio furniture out on their deck!" he chuckled and shook his head. "Nothing better worth dying over."

The two continued down the left passage toward Gogolak's house in silence, stopping occasionally to comment about the consistency of the dirt that the walls were made from. When they arrived in the area of Gogolak's residence, they were unable to find a portal into the crawl space from the tunnel. After looking around for a few minutes they stared at each other blankly.

"Nester," Mulder called to his friend. He bit his upper lip and tilted his head in thought. "Aren't you an expert on Tibetan culture?"

Nester laughed nervously. "I wouldn't say an expert," he replied. "I spent a couple of weeks in Tibet in college. Why?"

"Isn't it true that thought forms can appear as apparitions or phantoms and become separate living beings via the mental abilities of a master at the craft?"

"Whew, I don't know, Mulder," Nester replied. "That's a stretch. I mean, it's believed that a master can create a _Tulpa_ … a magic formation that is generated through powerful concentration of thought. It's alleged to be able to take a living form that others can see. But it ultimately exists only in the mind of the creator and will either be destroyed when the creator dies or willed to extinction."

"So it's possible?" Mulder questioned, nodding his head.

"Yeah," Nester sighed. "But there've been no documented cases in the past eighty years or so."

"Okay, just humor me a minute," Mulder continued. "From what I've read, a thought form that becomes a separate entity will hold onto the original reason for creation for a while, but then, like a child, develops a mind of its own."

"That's the basic premise," Nester agreed not sure where Mulder was going with it.

"And it could turn demonic or evil?"

"Yeah … it could go that way," Nester replied.

Mulder nodded. "So what if you weren't a master at the craft … but just learned a few tricks … and you created a thought form that got away from you?"

Nester shook his head. "Like I said before, there are no documented cases in the past eighty years. What're you thinking?"

"Gogolak. He runs an import furniture store and travels to Tibet on buying trips. What if someone taught him the basics of creating this _Tulpa_ phantom and he tried it here?" Mulder began.

"Why would he need it? If he was lonely, he could just make friends," Nester ventured.

"No … not to make friends ... to keep people out."

"Oh, like people who coiled their garden house the wrong way or had friends that blared their music out their car windows?"

"Right."

"Okay, but people just don't disappear without a trace."

"Well, they do around here," Mulder replied curtly.

"What about the stuff in their houses? Their cars and furniture?" Nester countered.

"Have you found Big Mike's minivan yet?" Mulder asked him. When Nester shook his head, Mulder nodded at him. "That's why we're down here. Come on," he motioned and began to walk toward the park through the tunnel.

They'd walked about five minutes when Nester tripped over something sticking up in the dirt. "Mulder, hold up!" he called as he backed up and pointed his flashlight down at the object that had caused him to trip.

Mulder walked back to where Nester was kneeling and pulled his pocket knife out of his vest. He dug around the object and discovered it was made of metal, green in color. After digging around it for a minute, both men looked at the each other in surprise.

"Interesting place to find a car mirror," Nester commented as Mulder wrestled the object out of the ground.

Mulder turned the mirror over in his hand. "Wasn't the Klines' SUV green?"

Nester pulled a notebook out of his vest pocket and flipped through a few pages of notes. "Yep, green Isuzu Trooper."

"How much you wanna bet the rest of the truck is around here someplace?" Mulder remarked as he pulled another evidence bag out of his vest pocket and dropped the mirror into it. He handed the bag to Nester and turned around so he could stuff it in the back of the utility vest.

"Hope you have one of those big enough to put a car in," Nester joked as he pushed the bag down the back of Mulder's vest.

"I have some tricks up my sleeve," Mulder joked as he rolled his shoulders and bounced on his feet to adjust the load on his back.

The two agents searched the area for an opening or signs that the SUV was hidden in the dirt for several minutes before continuing their trek to the park.

"So who did Scully go out with? Don't tell me it was that Cramer-geek," Nester questioned Mulder.

"Are you kidding? No! His name is Ethan Daniels. They dated exclusively before she was assigned to the XFiles," Mulder mumbled. The thought of Scully with Ethan made him shudder. "He's a producer at Channel 11."

"Oh, yeah. She talked to me about him before. He sounds a little OCD, if you ask me," Nester answered, looking back at Mulder. "You're not spying on her, are you?"

"Hardly. I _accidentally_ saw them together," he answered ruefully.

"Accidentally?" Nester arched his eyebrows.

"Seriously! Friday night before we came out here … she told me that she was meeting a friend for dinner. I was on my way to the Y to play basketball. As I was driving out of the parking garage, I caught the two of them on the street just down from the garage," Mulder replied as the memory replayed in his head. He had turned the opposite direction from his house and caught Scully and _her friend_ locked in an embrace that was hardly just friendly.

"A friendly dinner? Harmless," Nester muttered.

"It was hardly just friendly. He put a lip lock on her like …. like I wanted to break his nose," Mulder shook his head to clear the image.

"What?"

"I'm not talking friendly peck on the cheek either," Mulder revealed, shaking his head. "It was some serious tongue action."

"Maybe she saw you and did it on purpose," Nester countered. "To make you jealous."

"I don't think she saw me," Mulder replied. "We had a discussion about our 'wounds' last week and I brought it up. She acted like it was no big deal." Mulder grunted as the thoughts formulated in his head. "She can claim that they're _just friends _all she wants, but it doesn't fly with me. I know her too well … There's no in-between with her. It's all or nothing. She's either 'just friends' and nothing happens or she's intensely wrapped up in it and it's much more."

"So, you think she's sleeping with Mr. Evening News then?"

"I suspect that he's her fallback guy," Mulder rambled, conjuring up images in his mind that were starting to make him …. jealous.

"Just like how Diana is your fallback?" Nester smiled at him. He pointed at Mulder and laughed. "Ahh, I got you!"

Mulder looked over at his friend and shook his head. He hardly wanted to admit that his summation of Ethan was the same as Scully's view on Diana, but he had no other argument. "Point taken," he muttered as he gave in.

"I agree with you to a point as far as her intensity level goes, but I think she has a reckless side that gets her in trouble. She hangs herself out there for the "_all bets in_" round and then loses her nerve and has to pull back," Nester countered trying to make Mulder feel better about the mud in his face.

"What? Scully is not reckless," Mulder argued.

"What about Ed Jerse?" Nester reminded him. "You don't call that reckless?

"Oh, that guy," Mulder sighed. That was another sore subject between the two of them that Mulder never brought up. His mind flashed back to that fateful phone call he'd received from the Philadelphia field office informing him that she was in the hospital after an attempt had been made on her life. The memory of "that" feeling washed over him again and made his stomach queasy. Nester was still going on in the background about _the _incident with Jerse, but he didn't have all the facts straight.

"…. lets the guy talk her into a tattoo in the shape of a bulls eye on the small of her back and then spends the night at his house? Of course she claimed didn't sleep with him … which is probably why he tried to kill her the next day," Nester droned on.

Mulder butted into his monologue. "That's not true, I happen to know for a fact that they did sleep together," he replied flatly.

Nester glanced over at him. "When we were stuck in the mine shaft she told me that she didn't," he countered in Scully's defense.

Mulder looked at Nester and shook his head. "That would be inaccurate."

"When did she tell you?"

Mulder bit his lip. "She didn't, I found out another way." He turned around and looked at Nester, tilting his head slightly.

Nester stared at him for a second, trying to understand what he meant by that when the light bulb suddenly flicked on. "Dude, you didn't!" _Son-of-a-bitch processed her panties through the crime lab! _Nester realized quickly. "That's cold!"

"Stop!" Mulder countered pointing his finger at him. . "It wasn't like that….She was a crime victim and I had every right to process her clothing. It was all done by the book. Skinner signed off on it."

"Uh huh. Considering you were secretly in love with her," Nester added. "Talk about conflict of interest!"

Mulder was quiet for a moment and then looked over at him. "What would you have done in my shoes? She was on a case that I assigned her to and meets up with some freak who tries to kill her," he hissed through gritted teeth. "I get "_the phone call_" because I'm her emergency contact and technically her boss. When I get to the hospital, the senior agent from the field office hands me an evidence bag containing the clothing that she was wearing at the time of the attack, which consisted solely of her bra, panties and a man's white cotton shirt. Don't tell me you wouldn't have processed the clothing for the same reasons I did."

Nester stepped back with his hands up. _Okay, I obviously hit a nerve, _he thought as he tried to calm Mulder down. "Relax dude. Chill. It's just a little ironic, considering your feelings for her. You were completely within the protocol." Nester chuckled a little and shook his head. "Scully is a better liar than I'd given her credit for …the version she told me in the mine was very convincing."

"I don't think she really has a handle on what exactly happened that night," Mulder replied with a far off look in his eye. "The drug from the tattoo had a hallucinatory effect on her system, which changed her perception of events. The same thing happened to Mr. Jerse. He thought he was hearing voices that directed him to attack and kill his victims."

"Wait! Isn't the file stored in your office?" Nester asked, trying to understand why Scully wouldn't have known Jerse had sex with her. "She's had to have read it. I know I would have."

"The file is in our office, but the test results aren't. Skinner has them in a different room," Mulder explained. "Anytime an agent is attacked and _"those"_ type of tests are run, the results aren't kept with the case file. They're separated for the agent's privacy."

Nester's eyes opened up and he pulled his head back in surprise. "Wow, we're allowed privacy in the FBI? I'm shocked."

Mulder looked over back at him and laughed. "I'm sure if some burly dude tried to wrap you in a naked pretzel, you'd want to keep that information confidential."

Nester leaned against the side of the tunnel as he replied. "I'd want to keep it confidential, but you and I know that there are no secrets in the F…. what the fug?" The wall he was leaning against suddenly gave way and Nester struggled to keep himself from falling over. When he regained his balance, he switched the camera on and turned around to see what had happened to his support.

Mulder pushed against the wall and watched in amazement at it slid back, revealing a large open cavern. "This must be the circle," he said as he scanned the room with his flashlight. The light bounced off a metallic object buried in the dirt and Mulder walked toward it with Nester following close behind.

With a little effort between the two, they manage to dig out a bumper, wheel well and rear quarter panel of a red vehicle.

"Who had the red minivan?" Mulder asked breathing heavily from the exertion.

Nester sat back on the dirt and wiped the sweat off his brow. He pulled the notepad out of his pocket and flipped the page again. "Jansen," he coughed out as he tried to catch his breath. "Single mom." Nester stood back and looked around the cavern. "The real question should be how the hell did it get down here?"

Mulder stood up and walked the perimeter of the area, pushing against the sides as he passed them. When he pushed against the wall directly behind the van, it moved slightly. "Nester!" he called as he pushed his weight against it. The panel very slowly moved back, opening to another small room. The two men walked into the area and immediately noticed a difference in the ground.

"This is steel," Nester said looking down at what he was standing on.

Mulder illuminated the wall and discovered they were standing on a rudimentary lift system. He pulled the GPS tracker out of his pocket and locked in their coordinates.

"Where are we now?" Nester asked as he scanned the room, capturing it all on video.

"Looks like we're near the park," Mulder said, pulling the map of the subdivision out of his jean pocket. "If I'm reading this right, the maintenance shed is right above us."

"Check one thing off our "to-do" list," Nester remarked. "The cars are driven over to the maintenance shed when no one is looking and stowed down here. Now, where are the residents?" he asked as he made a final scan of the room.

Mulder looked around and bit his lip. His hunch that he brought up to Scully was right on track. "I think they're down here too."

"What do ya mean? Whacked in their house and then buried down here?" Nester asked as he shut the camera off. "Hey, check the battery pack for me, will ya?" he asked as he turned his back to Mulder.

Mulder pulled the battery out of the pouch and checked the strength level. "That's why I was asking about the _Tulpa_. What if Gogolak willed a creature into existence that lives in the dirt? In the beginning he willed it to life to take care of little problems he didn't want to deal with the right way. As its power grew, Gogolak's power grew and the two of them got out of control together." He shoved the battery pack back into the pocket. "It's got about 15 minutes left."

"Mulder, you've been watching too many science fiction movies," Nester remarked as he turned to face him. "Creatures don't just materialize out of the dirt. That's crazy talk."

Mulder wagged his finger at him. "Ah, you forget … I live in the paranormal. Look, I saw a huge creature towering over my neighbor's wife ready to pounce on her and I chased it around their house where it just disappeared into thin air."

"Okay … but what makes you think it's made out of dirt?"

Mulder arched his eyebrows and smiled. "Later that night when I went back to investigate the yard, I found this huge hole in their front yard that was covered with grass and a big pile of dirt in another neighbor's backyard right in the same area that I lost the creature. The next morning when I was out for my run, I ran by there again and the dirt was completely gone."

"Maybe someone shoveled it up," Nester replied, playing devil's advocate.

"Not likely... unless they used a vacuum. It was like it was never even there," Mulder replied flatly.

A loud clunking noise caught their attention and they both looked up at the ceiling. Mulder put his finger to his lips and pointed back to the panel. Both men made their way out of the small room and pushed the wall back into place as best they could, leaving a slight opening so they could watch what was happening.

Nester took the front position from the other side of the wall and turned the video feed back on. The clunking sound became louder and the small room slowly flooded with light. Both men watched in amazement as the lift settled down on the steel platform carrying a white Ford Escort. Mulder and Nester quickly back tracked through the other cavern and out into the tunnel, pushing the second wall nearly closed behind them.

With the camera filming the action, Nester and Mulder watched as the wall opened and an unidentified man drove the car into the cavern to the right of the minivan. He exited the vehicle and walked over to a panel on the wall, flipping a lever. Another clunking sound began to resonate in the cavern and Mulder watched in awe as a trap door above the vehicle opened dumping a huge pile of mud on top of the car. The drop continued until the car was completely covered and then the man flipped the lever again and left the cavern.

Mulder and Nester stared at each other in disbelief for several seconds until Mulder motioned for them to leave. "Let's get out of here," he whispered and backtracked out of the tunnel.

They retraced their steps back to the portal under his house in short order and climbed back into the safety of Mulder's living room quickly. Mulder verified the video was captured on the tape and repacked the gear, while Nester took a quick shower and donned his surfer boy outfit again. Nester was sitting at the breakfast bar drinking a glass of water when an unexpected visitor walked in the front door.

* * *

The big orange truck parked in their driveway stood out like a sore thumb as Scully turned the corner from the gate. _What is that thing in the driveway? _she wondered as she closed in on their house. "Mulder is going to get us killed," she muttered under her breath as she pulled next to it. Scully parked the van and stared at the truck, mystified about who it belonged to and what it was doing parked in her driveway. She could only imagine what the neighbors were thinking as they hid behind their mini-blinds.

She gathered her things and climbed out of the van, giving the monster truck one final glance before making her way to the front door. She keyed the door and walked into her house, finding a surprise waiting for her just inside the door.

"Nester!" she exclaimed catching sight of him sitting at the breakfast bar. "I should have guessed you'd be driving that ... thing out there."

"Laura!" he responded as he turned to greet her. He stood from the stool and walked in her direction. He attempted to hug her but she held her hands up in front of her.

"Sunburn," she whispered, shaking her head.

"Oh, yeah," he said and leaned over to kiss her instead. "Hi," he mumbled as his lips touched her check.

"Hi, yourself," Scully replied as he kissed her cheek and then walked around him to put her purse and bag down on the table by the door. "What are you doing over here?"

"Oh, R-Rob and I were at the park playing basketball," he said nonchalantly, sitting back on the stool.

Scully looked around the first floor and gave Nester a confused look. "Is there someone else here?" she whispered to him in a barely audible voice.

"No. Rob's upstairs taking a shower," Nester replied with a perplexed expression on his face. "Why?"

Scully breathed a sigh of relief and shook her head. "Because we don't use those names around the house unless someone is near," she answered swatting him on the arm.

"Ow, I didn't know," Nester laughed and made the quotation sign in the air. "I thought you two were all 'undercover' on this assignment."

A rumbled of feet on the stairs caused Scully to turn around and greet Mulder as he came at her from the landing. He was dressed similarly to Nester and carried a duffle bag as well.

"Hey, honeybunch," Mulder called to her nervously. "What're you doing home already?" He ran his hand across the back of her neck and pecked her on the lips.

"_Mulder_, I've been gone two hours," she started and then glanced at both of them. _They're up to something_, she realized catching the looks they gave each other. "Okay, out with it." She said to them firmly. "What's going on here? What're you up too?"

"Nothing," they replied in unison, which made them look all the more guilty.

"Uh huh, right," Scully replied giving Mulder "the death" stare.

"Okay…" Mulder sighed looking at the floor with a guilty expression on his face. "We're going to take Nester's truck off roading," he muttered.

Scully stared at him for another second to check for a secret wink between them, something her mother used to do when she was questioning Melissa and her about their activities. _Oh, my god, I'm turning into my mother, _Scully thought as she watched Mulder's face. _Mulder's right. Suburbia is wearing on me. _Scully ran her tongue over her lips and sighed. "So that's why that thing is parked in the driveway?"

"Yeah. It's my nephew's" Nester replied relaxing slightly. "Isn't it awesome?"

"Do you want my honest opinion about that?" Scully asked walking around the breakfast bar into the kitchen. "I thought you were scheduled to go back to DC yesterday," she added opening the refrigerator to stare into in blankly.

"Not anymore," Nester replied as Mulder discreetly pushed the CC&R binder in his direction. "The field office was so impressed with my abilities that they assigned me another case. Dris caught an early flight this morning, he should be landing in a couple of hours."

As he answered Scully's question, Mulder wrote "671 Maple" on a piece of paper and handed it to him. Nester nodded and shoved it in the pocket of his shorts. He hooked his duffle bag with his foot and pulled it closer to the chair, getting ready to stow the CC&R binder into it while Mulder distracted Scully.

"What are you rooting for in there?" Mulder asked her, turning around to the refrigerator. He blocked her line of sight to Nester with his body and gave Nester the precious seconds he needed to stow the binder in his bag.

"I don't know. I'm hungry but I don't have a taste for anything," Scully said looking up at him.

"I'm glad to see you have your appetite back," Mulder replied. He leaned over and kissed her on the lips, grabbing her full attention as he did so. When he pulled back from her lips, he trailed kisses up her nose to her forehead and ran his hand gently down her back.

Scully felt the rush pull at her like a magnet and blew the breath she had been unconsciously holding out her lips. "Don't start anything you can't finish, Mulder," she whispered as he rested his hand on her hip.

Mulder smirked at her challenge, but secretly was waiting for the "all clear" sign from Nester. He had counted the seconds out in his head and thought Nester should have had the binder stowed by the count of twelve, but he hadn't given him the sign. Mulder pulled Scully into his embrace and planted his lips against her again, walking her back against the counter. He probed her mouth with his tongue while he put gentle pressure on the trigger spot at the base of her skull. He felt her relax against him, and fall into the passion of the kiss. Mulder felt himself getting sucked into the moment when Nester cleared his throat loudly behind them.

"Geezus you two… come up for air!" He yelled at them from the breakfast bar.

Mulder let go of Scully and turned to face him with a sheepish grin on his face. Scully's face was completely flushed and she immediately opened the refrigerator door again to hide.

"I think those wedding bands have gone to your head," Nester added winking over at Mulder.

Mulder rolled his neck and looked at his watch. "Well, I guess we'd better getting going before I change my mind," he mumbled.

"See ya La …. Scully," Nester said as he stood from the stool and picked up his duffle bag. He made his way to the front door and walked outside.

"I'll call you later Scull," Mulder said as he leaned over to kiss her again. "We'll pick that up again later tonight," he smiled at her and swatted her on the butt. Mulder walked around out of the kitchen, scooped up the other duffle bag, and followed Nester out the door.

"Mulder! Don't forget about our dinner plans!" Scully called out to her partner as the door slammed shut in the foyer.

* * *

"Geezus Christ!" Lieutenant Peters exclaimed as he watched the video from Mulder and Nester's explorations on the monitor in his office. The gray haired lieutenant ran a hand over his weathered face and through his hair. "Why the frick didn't I call the feds in on this earlier?" He paced around the room in frustration and then leaned over his desk and stared at the TV screen. "We've been working this case for two fricken years without so much as a toilet paper roll as evidence and you swoop in and find the cars in less than a week!"

Mulder shifted his weight from foot to foot and tried to put the evidence in perspective for the lieutenant. "I don't think you should beat yourself up over it, Lieutenant," Mulder started. "It was your idea that got us to this point. You knew the only way to bust it open was to buy the house and send in an undercover team to blend in to the neighborhood."

"Agent Mulder, with all due respect," the lieutenant grumbled. "Stop trying to blow smoke up my ass!" He sat down in his chair with a defeated expression on his face and chuckled at the irony of it all. "How did you figure that out anyway?" he asked nodded toward the video screen.

Mulder picked the remote up from the desk and paused the playback on the white Ford Escort. "I befriended a couple of neighborhood kids at the park by playing basketball with them. One is home schooled, and yesterday morning he let it slip that the houses with crawlspaces are connected to the tunnel system and that there were cars hidden in the tunnels."

"And your house has a crawlspace, I take it?" the lieutenant added and watched Mulder nod his head. "Well, what do we know about this white car? Obviously it's a new arrival," he added pointing at the screen.

"Based on our observations of the terrain in the tunnels, the dirt directly under 671 Maple Drive appeared wet or moist from being over watered," Nester ventured. "Agent Mulder and I suspect the car belongs there. I requested an undercover officer check out the residence. We're just waiting for him to get back with the findings."

The lieutenant steepled his hands in front of his face and closed his eyes in thought. Twenty four months on this case and it blows wide open in less than a week. He was appreciative of the Bureau's help on this and grateful that Agent Mulder and his team were decent about it … keeping the department involved, not gloating over their victories. The whole experience had changed his impression of the Bureau for the better. The lieutenant sighed heavily and looked up at Mulder. "Okay … I suppose you have a good idea where the bodies are as well?"

Mulder pursed his lips and nodded. "I have a suspicion that they're buried in the yards, but investigating that covertly is going to require some creative thinking," Mulder shared with the man.

"That's why Agent Driscoll and a couple of your officers are scouring the Association's Covenants, Code and Rule book looking for a loop hole that will get us in there with an excavation team," Nester added from the other side of the room.

"You don't want to just get a search warrant?"

"No," Mulder shook his head. "They appear to be the master's at cover-up. I think we need to play this slow

The lieutenant nodded in agreement. "You're completely right, Agent Mulder," he replied. "Those people have a code of silence, that's for sure." He drummed his fingers on the desk and was quiet for a moment. "Okay, we'll play this your way. Use whatever resources you need."

TBC


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: No infringement intended. I'm not making anything. I'm just borrowing Mulder and Scully for a quick sec!

A/N: I truly apologize for not getting this chapter up! School has been crazy, and I've come to the firm conclusion that Statistics is the worst class in the world!! So if anyone is interested in trying to explain my homework to me … please email quick!

Also, just a forewarning …. Chapter 9 may be delayed slightly. I had a _surprise_ visit yesterday from my significant other! I hate men who keep secrets! (roommates and boyfriends included!!! )

Chapter 8

A uniformed officer knocked on the lieutenant's door before he opened it and waited to be waved in. Mulder made a mental note of his name badge,_ Gervase_, as he stepped up next to him. He noted that the officer was carrying a file folder and could see an evidence bag sticking out of it.

"Lieutenant, Agents," he nodded to the men in the room. "My partner and I tagged teamed the residence at 671 Maple Drive. Anderson approached the home in a postal vehicle and pulled yesterday's mail out of the box." The officer handed three evidence bags to Nester. He watched Nester mouth the word 'score' and smiled at his reaction.

"Then I pulled up in a patrol unit and banged on the door pretty hard, but there was no answer. I peeked in the window. The place is furnished, but it didn't appear that anyone had been around in a while. I spoke to the next door neighbor, Carol Spiegel. She said she hadn't seen anyone around for several weeks and thought the former residents had moved. She seemed kinda evasive and nervous about it," he said as he flipped the file open.

"Fits the pattern," Mulder remarked as Nester crossed the room and handed the mail pieces to him.

"Yeah, I'll say. I worked the last two cases when the missing person reports were filed." He chuckled at the irony of it. "They certainly aren't your typical "gossip monger" neighbors. Anyway, the mail in the box was for Paul Acton. Ran him through NCIC,DCI and SDPD computer systems, with no hits. We did score with the vehicle, however. DMV records show that he owns a _white Ford Escort_." The officer smiled and handed the DMV print out to Mulder.

"Bingo!" Peters said, sitting back in his chair with a smirk on his face.

"Wait a minute," the officer continued, arching his eyebrows. "It gets better … He was also on the Association Board. Found this notice in his mail box as well." The officer handed the final evidence bag to Mulder. It was a posting regarding a spring cleaning day for the subdivision and was signed by the members of the Association Board, including one Paul Acton.

Mulder stared at the memo and felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. _There's a pattern here … Big Mike was on the board, Winn Shroeder and Paul Acton … two are missing and one had a monster chase his wife across the yard. Interesting, _he thought quietly.

"Agent Mulder, you have that look in your eye," Peters commented as he looked over at him.

Mulder handed the evidence bag to Peters and headed for the door. "The answers are in the ground, Lieutenant. We just need to figure out a way to get down there."

* * *

"Geezus. Hey surfer boys! You guys were kidding about the award for best planned community right?" Agent Driscoll asked scanning the conference room. He and three uniformed officers from the San Diego PD had taken up residence in the small room as they tore through the CC&R binder from the _Falls of Arcadia_ subdivision looking for a loophole in the rules that would allow them to dig up the yard. The three officers all shook their heads. "You might as well live in prison. The rules are more lenient."

"Listen, Yankee," Officer Anderson, a tanned blond haired male in his early thirties, piped in. "That's the way it is out here … although most are not this intense."

"Yeah," Officer Jobgen chimed in. The officer was nearly a twin to Anderson, tan, with sandy blonde hair. "And most times you don't find out about the rules until after you move in to the neighborhood. It's not in the brochure … since it isn't a selling point."

"Frick! I thought the Bureau had too many rules," Dris muttered as he flipped through the photocopies.

"Zen gardens," mumbled the third officer, named Bates, who had been quiet for most of the past hour and a half. He flipped some paper around on the table and then looked up at Dris, Jobgen and Anderson. "Zen gardens," he repeated flatly.

"What about them?" Anderson asked with a confused expression on his face.

"There's nothing in the rules about putting in a Zen Garden," he replied sliding the sections of the book over to Driscoll. "That's the way in."

"I don't understand," Driscoll muttered. "How does a Zen Garden get us digging in the front yard? Aren't they made of sand?"

The officer shook his head. "Okay, I know its cold most of the year on the east coast, but work with me here …. a reflecting pool is a component of a Zen garden," he replied with a smirk.

"That's not going to work," Anderson countered. "There's something in there about pools."

"Swimming pools," Driscoll said as he skimmed the section of the covenant and code. "The section only covers swimming pools."

"Just swimming pools?" Jobgen butted in. "What about this section here that covers digging in the yard with out association approval?" He stood up and leaned over the table to point to the section of the book.

Bates shook his head. "That section talks about landscaping and specifically mentions shrubs, trees, cover and flower beds, but nothing about gardens or the grass."

"Isn't the grass considered cover?"

"It depends on the interpretation," Anderson replied. "Just by reading this, I would read this to say flowers are the cover in question."

Driscoll stared at the passage and cross referenced it with the one in front of him. "And there is no disclosure or microscopic print anywhere that says "includes but is not limited to"?

"Nope!" Anderson and Bates answered in unison.

"Then that's it!" Driscoll said, leaning back in his chair. The door clicked open and two three men walked into the room.

"What's it?" Mulder asked as he led the parade of Nester and Officer Gervase into the room.

"Reflecting pools," the four men in the room replied in unison.

Nester stared at them quizzically. "You guys practicing for the barbershop quartet? That sounded a little rehearsed."

"Dude, you need to understand … We've been working this case way too long, so this little break is putting juice in the veins, if ya know what I mean," Anderson answered, winking at Nester.

"Yeah, any way to stick it to that jag-off Gogolak," Jobgen commented as he leaned back in his chair. "That guy is a prick."

"And there is nothing about digging for a reflecting pool?" Mulder questioned.

Bates shook his head. "Nope, I checked the whole thing, I didn't see anything," he answered.

"Let's run this past the city attorney just to be sure though," Anderson said gathering up the photocopies of the CC&R Binder. "I'll take it over there now. Hopefully they can have someone review it tomorrow morning."

Mulder bit his lip in thought for a second before interrupting Anderson. "No, wait," he called. "If the binder doesn't say anything specific about it, then let's leave it at that and see what happens. I'm willing to take a bet that a backhoe parked in my front yard will stir up some action."

"You're sure?" Anderson asked, looking from Mulder to the officers at the table.

"Yeah, I'm sure," Mulder said nodding to confirm.

Jobgen stood from the table. "All right then. I'll make contact with the street department and schedule the dig for tomorrow morning."

"Okay, good," Mulder replied and handed Jobgen his business card. "Call me at this number when you have it all set up. My cover is Rob Petries. My partner's cover is Laura, in case she answers the phone."

Dris looked up at Mulder and caught the expression on his face. _Something is up with him_, he thought as he studied his face. "What's that look about Mulder?" he questioned him.

Mulder leaned against the wall and tilted his head in reflection. He bit his lip and looked around the room. "I don't know. I'm worried about that kid," he replied glancing over at Nester.

"The kid that tipped you off?" Nester asked.

"Yeah," Mulder replied as he ran his thumb over his lip. "He told me that he had explored his tunnels with his friend Zack. Zack and his mother were the first reported missing," Mulder paused and looked around the room. "I think we need to pull them out of there for their safety, especially now that Nester and I have been down there nosing around."

"You're right, Agent Mulder," Anderson added. "No since in losing anyone else in this mess."

"No problem," Bates nodded. "Gervase and I'll go pick them up."

Mulder nodded and gave Bates in the information on Ben's residence and then went to make a notification of his own.

* * *

"I knew your name wasn't Rob." Ben fired off as he stared relentlessly at the man in front of him. He watched as the man shifted uneasily on his feet and paced nervously around the table as if an excuse would magically appear in front of him.

"Ben, I'm sorry about that," Mulder stammered, his mouth suddenly filled with imaginary cotton balls. "My job sometimes requires me to go undercover to find things out."

"You promised not to tell anybody," Ben replied flatly. "I told you I could get in trouble if you told." He crossed his arms at his chest. _God, who else did he tell? I should've kept my mouth shut, _Ben kicked himself mentally. He bit his lip and darted his eyes nervously around the room considering the consequences of revealing his secret. He could feel tears brimming in his eyes and blinked to make them go away. _Stop it cry baby! _he chided himself. Ben looked up at Agent Mulder when he heard a soft sigh. He looked defeated. He watched as he rubbed his hand across his forehead and walked around the table. He pulled the chair out next to Ben and sat down.

"Look Ben, I told you I wouldn't tell anyone, and I didn't! At least not anyone at the subdivision that would get you in trouble." Mulder rubbed his hands together and looked at the boy sitting next to him. "You aren't in trouble for telling me, okay? In fact, what you told me was a big help to me."

"Like how?" Ben asked rolling his eyes and looking over at Mulder.

"My partner and I went down in the tunnels today and found the cars, just like you said," Mulder said.

"Really? You found the cars?" Ben's replied warily eyeing Mulder. _He didn't find nothing,_ Ben thought quickly. _He's trying to trick me into telling him …something. _Ben watched Agent Mulder as stood up from the chair and walked around the table. Mulder picked up a video cassette that was sitting on it, and then walked to the TV cart at the end of the room.

"Yeah," Mulder said calmly. He pushed the tape into the VCR and turned the TV on and then fiddled with the remote as he continued talking. "It was all down there Ben, just like you said." Mulder pointed at the TV and the walked back to the chair next to Ben and sat down.

Ben stared at the TV screen as the video of the tunnels began to play. He watched in amazement as the two agents made their way into the cavern where the cars were stored and uncovered part of a red car. His fear began to dissolved and he leaned forward against the table trying to get a closer view of the screen. "Did you see the elevator thing by the maintenance garage?" Ben mumbled, startled to hear his own voice. He had not meant to say it aloud.

"Yeah," Mulder replied simply. Mulder paused the video playback on the shot of the lift. He tilted his head and looked at Ben, baiting him to reveal something more. "What else did you find down there?"

Ben looked at his hands and then dropped his voice to a whisper. "Furniture and stuff …..and" He looked up at Mulder out of the corner of his eye without moving his head.

"And what?"

Ben bit his lip and shook his head. "Just stuff."

Mulder nodded and popped another sunflower seed in his mouth. "How did you get down there anyway," he asked trying to open Ben up again.

Ben shrugged his shoulders and tapped his fingertips on the top of the table nervously. "Zack found a hole behind the maintenance shed that went down there," he looked up at the TV screen as the memory of that day flooded through his mind. He had felt like he and Zack were on a _secret _mission, sneaking behind the maintenance building to a secret passage that led down to the cavern. They had walked the tunnels for what seemed like hours and discovered boxes of furniture and clothes and eventually the garage area of cars and the elevator that brought them down.

Mulder could tell that Ben was reliving an encounter in his mind. "What happened?" he prompted Ben for the story.

Ben bit his lip as he thought about that day and how the events had turned so quickly. He felt tears stinging his eyes again and he began to wring his hands nervously. _That's when everything got screwed up and then no one believed me,_ Ben thought silently.

"Ben? What's wrong?" Mulder asked softly.

The words brought Ben out of his reverie and the boy looked nervously around the room. "I ahh…. I gotta go," he stammered and pushed back the chair. "Where's my mom?" Ben stood up and quickly headed around Mulder for the door.

"Hey, wait!" Mulder said. He turned in his chair and hooked Ben by the elbow as he attempted to bolt past him.

Ben felt Mulder's hand on his arm, but he didn't pull away. He turned his head and looked into Mulder's eyes, into the eyes that inspired trust. He had trusted this man, a stranger, even when he was suspicious of his purpose. There was something about him that made him feel safe and something inside told him if he told the truth, this man would believe him … unlike his parents when he went to them for help.

"Ben, it's okay. You're safe here." Mulder stood and stepped back from the chairs, coaxing Ben back to his seat. "Your mom is down the hall talking to my partner." Mulder sat back down in his chair and looked Ben dead in the eye. "I'm not going to let anything happen to you. That's why I had the police pick you and your mom up today. Your dad will be here soon as well. You won't be going back home until it's safe for you."

"We're going to stay here … at the police department? Like where? In a cell?" Ben questioned, remaining cautious of Rob ...er Agent Mulder.

"No," Mulder chuckled to ease the tension. "I'm going to put you in what's called 'protective custody'. You and your parents will stay at a hotel until I figure out what's going on in the tunnels and put an end to it."

"Protective custody?" Ben stared at him with arched eyebrows and a scowl on his face. "You're kidding right? That stuff only happens on TV," he quipped.

Mulder chuckled. "Where do you think they get TV story lines from?" He leaned back on the chair. "Old case files from the FBI and other police departments."

Ben looked at him warily. "I thought that was just made up stuff. My mom says that people who write TV shows have over-active imaginations."

"Hmph!" Mulder huffed.

Ben slumped back in his chair and a defeated expression crawled across his face.

"Does your mom say that about you?" Mulder asked tilting his head to the side.

"Sometimes," Ben mumbled. The truth was she had said it to him more than once… and it was the reason she had taken him out of school after the … tunnel. His nightmares and skittishness at school, the fights he had gotten in with the bullies on the bus.

"Like when?"

Ben looked up at the ceiling and then around the around the room while he tried to figure out what to say. He was mentally kicking himself for even brining up the monster topic in the park the other day. _Maybe mom was right and it was just my imagination,_ Ben though to himself. Part of him just wanted to tell the truth and get it over with, but past experience reminded him that was the wrong thing to do. _But this guy …I think he believes me…_Ben stared blankly at the table and mumbled under his breath. "Like when I told her what happened to Zack, she said I made it up because nothing bad happened to him. She said that she saw a moving truck in their driveway and that they've moved away."

Mulder nodded his head and bit his lip. He absent-mindedly put a sunflower seed in his mouth and cracked the shell with his teeth. There was silence between the two for a moment as Mulder formulated a line of questioning that would build his credibility with Ben and gain his trust.

"Do you believe he moved away?" Mulder asked quietly.

After a second Ben shook his head. "He didn't move, the ….guy took him," Ben whispered.

Mulder's gaze never faltered. "Wanna tell me about it?" he asked, leaning forward in his seat.

Ben nodded and slowly began to weave his tale.

* * *

Scully stared at the TV screen in disbelief while watching the video that her partners had shot earlier in the day. "And you got into these tunnels through the crawlspace in my basement?" she asked Nester for the second time.

"Yeah, Dana," Nester laughed at her. "Why do you look like you don't believe it?"

Scully looked over at him with arched eyebrows. "It's just a little surreal. Mulder and I were just talking about this the other day."

"About tunnels under your house?"

Scully signed heavily. "Not exactly. He was telling me he thought the bodies were buried in the yard and then I made a joke about finding a tunnel to the underside in the basement."

Nester walked over and leaned against the lieutenant's desk. "Well, based on what I saw, I think the bodies are buried down there," he rolled his neck and smiled as the joints popped. "Guess we'll know for sure tomorrow."

"Tomorrow? What's happening tomorrow?" Scully questioned him quizzically.

"The Street Department is sending out a backhoe to dig up your front yard," Nester replied. When he saw the perplexed look on Scully's face he put up his hand. "Relax, its still within your cover. You and your _husband _are putting in a reflecting pool."

Scully arched her eyebrows and stared at Nester. "A reflecting pool? I hope there isn't some rule in Covenant and Code book about that."

Nester pushed off the desk and walked over to the TV set. He turned off the TV and rewound the tape. "Actually we're hoping there is some rule, to try to entice some activity," Nester said flatly.

"What?"

"Dris checked the book today. There isn't anything specific about a reflecting pool, although there are plenty of other rules about digging and moving the landscape. So, our "fake" contractor will be out tomorrow to start digging and we'll let the chips fall where they may," Nester said shuffling the papers around in the case file. He looked up at Scully and stared at her for a moment, trying to read her reaction. Her face was an emotionless slate.

"Dana, what's wrong with you?" Nester ventured, not beating around the bush anymore. "You seem …. out of it today."

_Busted! _she thought as she stared at the floor blankly. _What is wrong with me? Christ, I can't even answer him. _"There's nothing wrong," she replied folding her arms across her chest. "I'm fine."

Nester sighed and shook his head. "Yeah, whatever! Don't "fine" me, Missy. I know you better than that," Nester retorted. "Come on, what gives?" He watched Scully as she ran her tongue over her lips and looked around the room, avoiding eye contact with him. Her eyes suddenly seemed red and watery. "You aren't going to get all emotional on me are you? Cuz you know I don't do well with crying fits," he joked trying to cut the tension in the room.

It worked slightly. Scully cracked a smile. "Do you think I'm bitchy?"

"Do you honestly expect me to answer that?" Nester guffawed.

"Yes, I do," Scully replied flatly. "I'm certain that you of all people will give me an honest answer if I ask you something. So I'm asking you."

"Yes, sometimes. Especially when you are being really picky about things," Nester said. He walked over to the desk and laid the file and video tape on the top of it. "It's not that big of deal though. It's no different then men who are dealt '_Jerk Cards_'. Why do you ask?" Nester leaned against the desk and stared at her.

"No reason," she mumbled and walked over to the window in the lieutenant's office. She stared at the street below and felt herself getting sucked into the hypnotic flow of the traffic.

Nester turned and looked over at her, still trying to comprehend the question. He cleared his throat, drawing her attention again. "That's it? You're going to drop a question like that on me and then nothing? You've got my attention, so spill your guts before I force you to do it," Nester goaded her.

Scully sunk back against the wall and bit her lip in contemplation. "I think I'm a hypocrite," she blurted out.

_Oh, Christ, not this again? _Nester thought as her comment took him back to the twelve plus hours they spent together trapped in the mine shaft two months ago. She'd felt like a martyr that night, too, and it had taken all of his psycho-babble expertise to get her to see that she wasn't dysfunctional. "What?" Nester exclaimed rolling his eyes. "Give me a break."

"No seriously," she countered. "I keep trying to act like the professional agent and live a straight-forward, anti-drama life … but after spending the last week in freakville with a bunch of fakey nice women, I've come to the realization that I'm no better than any of them."

Nester responded to her words with a perplexed expression on his face. Scully often talked in circles, avoiding her real feelings and emotions. It took a skilled friend to read between the lines and discover the true meaning. If he had been anyone else, he would've had no clue what she was talking about, but the two of them had a connection of sorts, something more than the average friendship. He tilted his head to the side and looked over at her. "Is this about the Channel 11 guy?"

"How do you know about him?" Scully asked completely shocked that he had mentioned Ethan.

"Mulder told me that you were hanging around him again," Nester said calmly. He laughed inwardly at Scully as she squirmed over his revelation.

"Mulder?" Scully coughed out. _Shit! He did see us! _

"Yeah," Nester answered slowly in a know-it-all tone.

Scully shook her head and closed her eyes. "Shit" she muttered under her breath.

"Uhhh, yeah… you're busted! Okay, what is it with you two … you and Mulder?" Nester asked her pointedly. "Why's this relationship thing so hard?"

"I don't know," she replied dejectedly. "I guess we just have … trust issues."

"That's a crock of shit!" Nester chided her. "You expect me to believe that you don't trust him? Honestly? If you were held hostage by some deranged freakazoid, who beside Skinner, Driscoll and me would you want to save you?"

"What?"

"Just answer the question!"

"Mulder."

"Okay, and if you were in a gun battle, who would you want backing you up?"

"Mulder."

"And if you got your toe stuck in the water spout of your bathtub while you were taking a bubble bath, who would you call to loosen it for you… and don't you dare answer your mother, either!"

Scully started laughing at the stupidity of his question.

"I didn't hear your answer?" Nester prompted her.

"Mulder! Nester, what does any of that have to do with…."

"It has everything to do with whether you trust Mulder or not, because if you didn't trust him, he wouldn't be the first person on your list for any of those things," Nester argued with her. "So it's not a matter of trust at all. I believe it boils down to pure jealousy. And if you want my opinion … which you are getting regardless… _that _is also a crock of shit! It is so fricken obvious to the rest of the world that the two of you are in love and only have eyes for each other that the mere thought that either one of you should be jealous of a meaningless friendship is purely ludicrous!!"

Scully dropped her jaw at his tirade and blinked in surprise. "Well," she stammered after he finally was quiet. "Tell me how you really feel."

"Don't get me started!" Nester blurted out. He was on a roll now. "I find it ridiculous that you would think Mulder slept with Diana. Have you ever seen Mulder have any physical contact with her? You … you on the other hand are out there hamming it up with Cramer and this Ethan guy right in front of Mulder's face. You don't think he's jealous and wondering what you are up too?" He paused for a moment and stared at her. "You know what that makes you?"

Scully swallowed hard and blinked back the tears. She had asked for this knowing full well that once Nester was riled up he wouldn't hold back. He's tendency to be brutally honest was one of his strong suits. His little speech made her feel like a complete chump. "I'm a fricken idiot," she mumbled under her breath.

Nester chuckled. "Well, that's one way to put it….although that's not how I was going to characterize it," he replied with a smile on his face.

"Oh, you have a better description? Like what I said earlier? A hypocrite?"

"No, it makes you fricken human that's all," Nester replied smugly. "Not to mention a little stupid."

"Geez. Thanks," Scully replied, rolling her eyes. _Can ya just pour some more salt in the wound pal? _she thought, careful to not vocalize this one. She stepped forward to say something else, when the door to the office suddenly opened. Scully felt her cheeks flush hot with the fear that someone, specifically Mulder, had heard their discussion from the hallway. She didn't have to wait long to find out.

* * *

After Mulder had finished discussing the tunnel and Zack's disappearance with Ben he reunited the boy with his parents in the conference room down the hall. He spoke to Ben's parents to explain the situation and detail what would happen next while Driscoll got the three refreshments from the vending machines. Then Mulder excused himself and walked to the Lieutenant's Office to debrief with Scully, Nester and Driscoll.

He was standing outside of the office door trying to listen to the muffled voices from within when Officer Gervase called for him from down the hall.

"Agent Mulder." Mulder turned around and walked a few steps to meet the officer. "Are you done with the Jacksons? I was going to run them over to the hotel," Gervase asked.

"Yeah, we're done with them for now," Mulder replied. "Can you go with Mr. Jackson to the house so he can pick up some personal items? Take an unmarked car."

"Sure, no problem. I'll have Bates or Anderson drop Ben and his mom at the hotel, while I go with Mr. Jackson," Officer Gervase said, walking backwards toward the conference room.

"Thanks, Gervase," Mulder said as he walked away. Driscoll stepped out of the conference room and headed in Mulder's direction. Mulder turned the knob of the lieutenant's office door, forgetting about the argument he had heard from within a few minutes earlier. The guilty expression on his partners' faces told him that he had walked in on something heated. Scully's face was flushed and Nester looked steaming mad. The two of them had a love-hate relationship that blended as well as oil and water at times.

"Did I interrupt something?" Mulder asked as he walked into the room. He caught the quick glance between the two of them before either answered.

"No," They responded in unison.

"Okay," Mulder replied slowly, not believing either. He looked back and forth between the two, checking for some secret sign. _Geezus, I'm turning into my father, _he thought as he watched his friends in silence. After a second, Driscoll walked into the room, oblivious to the tension that filled it.

"Okay, what's the kid's story?" Driscoll blurted out. "The parents had nothing interesting."

Mulder set the case file and video tape on the desk and sat down in an arm chair. He looked at Driscoll and sighed. "I think you should go first," he said flatly. "Let's start with the boring stuff."

Driscoll shut the door and walked over to the desk, settling himself on the edge of it. He caught the quick glances the three agents were giving each other and looked around at each of them.

"Did I interrupt something?" Driscoll said, totally confused.

"No!" Nester and Scully said in unison. Mulder said nothing, but had a guilty smirk plastered on his face.

"Just never mind," Nester finally coughed out as he walked around Mulder's chair and sat in the one across from the desk. Scully remained behind the desk, opposite all three men.

"Okay," Driscoll said turning his body to include Scully in on the conversation. "I don't have much. Mrs. Jackson said that Zack and his parents, David and Molly Jansen moved in about a year after they did. The two families became friends and spent a lot of time together. About nine months after they moved in, David Jansen was killed in a car accident, leaving Molly Jansen alone with her son, Jake. Shortly after that, she started having problems with the association for code violations and had told the Jacksons that she was thinking about selling her house and moving out," Driscoll remarked flatly. "Mrs. Jackson stated that one day she was driving down the street and saw a moving truck in the driveway and a 'For sale' sign in the front yard. She never saw either Zack or his mom again."

"And she didn't find that a little weird?" Nester questioned. "She claimed they were friends. Suddenly there's a moving van in the driveway and they don't say goodbye?"

Driscoll shook his head. "She and her husband both claimed Molly Jansen was a little odd, so they just chalked it up to her behavior." He shrugged his shoulders and looked over at Mulder.

"And your opinion, Agent Driscoll?" Mulder asked in an Assistant Director sort of way.

"Oh, they're _definitely _not being truthful," Driscoll replied. "Lot's of nervous activity between the two of them."

"Did you ask them why Ben was home schooled?" Scully piped in from behind them.

"Ah, yeah, I did," Driscoll said shuffling his note. "About two years ago he started having behavioral problems at school, getting into fights and other trouble. They pulled him out so his mom could give him more personal attention."

"But she doesn't," Scully interjected. "Mulder had me run a background check on her. She's been working as an accounting temp for the last year. That puts her out of the house at least three days a week."

"And leaves Ben unsupervised for most of the day," Mulder added processing the Scully's information.

"If the two of you would let me finish," Driscoll interrupted. "She told me that she took a part time job a year ago because they were in a financial bind. She and Ben work on his studies in the morning. She works Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday afternoons." Driscoll said matter-of-factly as his partners finally let him finish.

"Okay," Nester remarked slowly. "They're maintaining the code of silence like the rest of the neighborhood … which isn't any big revelation." He looked over at Mulder. "I hope you have something better to divulge."

Mulder nodded his head with a sly grin on his face. "Oh yeah, Ben was very forthcoming," he replied. "The puzzle pieces are all starting to fall into place."

Mulder stood up and stepped over to the desk. He picked up the case file from the desk top and pulled the subdivision map out for his partners viewing. Nester stood up and walked over to the desk to see what Mulder was looking at.

"Okay, we've already established that there is some type of entrance to the tunnels and the cavern over here by the maintenance shed," Mulder began, pointing to the park area on the map. "Apparently, Zack had found the entrance and was bragging about it to the kids at the park. He convinced Ben to go explore the tunnels with him one day after school." Mulder picked up the video tape and walked over to the VCR to start it back up. He fast forwarded the tape until he got to the cavern with the cars and then hit the pause button.

"He said they were in this cavern. Ben was standing between a car," Mulder pointed to a mound of dirt on the video screen, "... and the wall when he heard Zack scream. He looked up and saw a …._'man'_ grab Zack and drag him down the tunnel." Mulder looked around the room, making eye contact with Scully and Nester. Ben hadn't said a man… he had definitely described a large black creature. His description was identical to what Mulder had seen in Shroeder's front yard a few nights ago. Mulder could tell Scully knew what he was implying, and based on the glare she shot back at him, she still didn't believe it. Nester looked like he was still processing the information. Mulder continued with Ben's story, letting the facts sink in with his partners.

"Ben said he hid behind the car for several minutes until he no longer heard any screams from Zack or any other movement in the tunnels, and then climbed out and ran home. When he got home, he told his mother that something had happened to his friend. He convinced her to go back to the park with him, but when they got up there, he couldn't find the passage to the tunnel again. His mother told him that he was "just telling stories" and dismissed it. Ben never saw either Zack or his mom again. Then about a week later, his mom told him she had seen a moving van in their driveway and that they had moved away."

"The _Tulpa_," Nester muttered under his breath.

Mulder nodded, while Driscoll gave both men a bewildered look. "A what?" Driscoll questioned.

"A thought form," Nester began. "Something willed into existence by a master of an ancient type of Tibetan magic. Kinda like …. Frankenstein," he replied smugly. "Mulder, I still think you're crazy."

"Ditto," Scully quipped.

"How else would you explain it, then?" Mulder countered. "People are there one day and gone the next without a trace?"

"Kidnapped, murdered by the association president?" Nester offered.

"Wait a minute," Driscoll butted in. He had a perplexed expression on his face as he tried to keep up with the other three in the room. Mulder was an expert on the paranormal, so it would be logical this case would have a paranormal slant to it. But Frankenstein? "Are you trying to say that a modern day Frankenstein is killing people in this neighborhood?"

"Yes!" Mulder answered firmly

"No!" Scully blurted out at the same time.

Driscoll and Nester exchanged glances and looked at their cohorts. "Mulder..." Driscoll began, shaking his head.

"Dris, you of all people should believe me," Mulder interrupted. "You and your entire family believe that your aunt's spirit haunts your uncle's house! This shouldn't be such a stretch," Mulder remarked defensively.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa …" Driscoll barked calling for a timeout with his hands. "I never said I didn't believe you. I'm just ….. _surprised_ at the theory," Driscoll explained calmly.

"Look there is definitely a pattern of events here," Mulder said picking up the case file. "Jansen's had code violations and the kid is caught snooping around where he shouldn't have been and they disappear. The Klines? The sister who reported the Klines missing stated they had multiple code violations. Big Mike warns us about the rule book and he disappears. Shroeder's yard light is burnt out and a ma…figure chases his wife across the front yard," Mulder recited from the file as he paced around the room. "How much do you want to bet that Acton did something as well?"

"Mulder, what about Sams?" Scully asked as she leaned against the desk. "He's had several code violations and he is still around."

"Ah, like I said the other day, he's too high profile," Mulder remarked calmly. "He's Navy. If he went missing, too many people would be here asking questions."

"Well, what about you?" Nester questioned as he lounged in the chair. "By your own admission you've broken a bunch of rules, but you're still here."

"Big Mike," Scully mumbled from the side of the room.

"What?"

"Well, we think that Big Mike is living in our crawl space, so he may have deflected any negative outcomes," Scully replied flatly.

"He's squatting in your basement?" Driscoll asked with arched eyebrows. "Doesn't he have his own house?"

"Well, he did until _they _cleaned it out," Mulder added, staring Scully down as he replied.

"Who are _they?_" Dris asked.

"The other association members, specifically Shroeder, Berlander and Vesch," Mulder said.

Scully looked down at her watch and checked the time. "Vesch! Shit Mulder …. we gotta go," she blurted out when she realized more than half the afternoon had melted away.

"Crap!" Mulder mumbled, looking at his watch as well. He handed the file to Dris and followed Scully to the office door. "We're having dinner with the Vesch's tonight, so I'll try to be the nosy neighbor while we're there.. I'll call you guys later tonight to catch up."

TBC


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: No infringement intended.

A/N: Sorry, Sorry, Sorry! What can I say, but sometimes life just gets in the way of creative energies!!!

Chapter Nine

The warm inviting aroma of pancakes and sausage assaulted Mulder as he descended the stairs. He yawned sleepily and rubbed his eyes, having a suddenly flashback to Saturday mornings as a kid at his parents house. He paused on the bottom stair and watched Scully silently as she bustled around the kitchen making the morning meal. _I really could get used to this,_ he thought mindlessly admiring her form. _And that scares the crap out of me._ He took the final step to the hallway just as the doorbell rang.

"I got it," he mumbled and smiled as Scully jumped at the sound of his voice. Mulder padded over to the door and opened it to find Nester standing on the stoop. "Morning Nest."

Nester eyeballed Mulder's bed-head look and walked past him into the house. "Just get up?" he asked watching Mulder nod his head. "Hope you brushed your teeth."

"Of course," Mulder sneered. He peered out the door at the side of the garage and then pointed wordlessly to the front yard. "Ah…."

Nester shook his head. "He's not coming." He watched Mulder nod again and shut the door behind them. "He's learning how to work the backhoe. He and some guy from the street department will be up later to dig the hole."

"Ah," Mulder replied. "There's special training to run a backhoe?"

"Yeah, who would have thought?" Nester laughed. "God it smells great in here. Hey Scully!"

"Nester," Scully greeted him leaning over the breakfast bar. She pushed two cups of coffee toward the men and set the container of creamer on the counter. "Where's Driscoll?"

"Backhoe school," Nester said dumping the cream in the steaming cup. "I guess if you want to look legitimate, you need to practice how to operate the thing. And you know what a perfectionist Dris is," he took a big sip from his cup and set the cup down. "How was your dinner date?"

Mulder straddled a bar stool and sat down. "Uneventful wouldn't you say, Scull?"

Scully smirked. "That's an understatement. Not only do the Vesch's have normal everyday jobs, they're completely grounded and …. drama free."

"Yeah," Mulder chimed back in. "I can't even figure out why they're on the association board. They certainly don't fit the mold like the rest of the board members."

"If we had met them back in D.C., we could have been friends," Scully added.

"Okay … stop!" Nester blurted. "The shit is getting thick!"

"I'm serious," Scully replied defensively. "Gordy is a techno geek. He would fit right in with the Gunmen."

"Mulder?" Nester called for reinforcements.

"Well, the friend thing is pushing it, but she's right about being a geek," Mulder remarked winking at Scully. He noticed she was pulling the plates out of the cupboard. "Are we ready to eat?" he asked changing the subject.

"Yeah, can you give me a hand with some of this?" Scully called as she tried to juggle plates, glasses and the juice pitcher.

The threesome moved to the patio and enjoyed breakfast outside in the warm morning air under a sunny sky. They were joking about old times when Nester caught Scully looking around the neighborhood cautiously.

"You okay …Sc-Laura?" Nester asked stumbling over her cover name. "You look like you're about ready to pull your gun."

"Yeah, I just feel like someone is staring at us," she whispered.

"Well, they are," Mulder replied as he leaned forward on the table. "They're envious of our defiant behavior." He reached over and squeezed her hand.

Nester watched the exchange between his friends. Their lovely attitude was a little nauseating, although fitting for their role. _Gag me,_ he thought as he leaned his elbows on the table and steepled his hands in front of his face. He was quiet for a second when he suddenly realized why Scully was so nervous.

"Wait, you're not supposed to be sitting out here are you?"

Scully let go of Mulder's hand and went back to eating her breakfast. "Not exactly."

"Isn't there a rule about it?"

"The code book isn't exactly specific about it," Mulder replied. He stood up from the table and walked back into the house to the get coffee pot. He came out and warmed up their cups and then set the pot down on a trivet on the table. "It just says no wicker outdoor furniture on the patio."

"They make wicker outdoor furniture?" Nester asked perplexed.

"My thoughts exactly," Mulder responded. "We borrowed this from our new best friends."

"_The neighbors?_" Nester asked, a little too loud for Scully's tastes. She glared at him with a look that would melt ice. "Sorry," he replied sheepishly lowering his voice. "The Veschs?"

"I convinced them to eat dinner on their patio last night," Mulder laughed. "I felt like we had snuck some contraband into study hall."

Scully laughed aloud at Mulder's comment. "It was rather liberating actually. Rob tossed out the bait and the Vesch's were totally into it."

"Board members breaking the rules?" Nester mocked. "What next? Running naked in the yard."

"Naah! I already suggested that," Mulder replied with a sly grin. "I got the impression they didn't give a crap anymore. Didn't you … Laura?"

"Yeah, Rob," she agreed. "After their little slip."

"Okay, knock it off!" Nester blurted out, tired of their encrypted dialogue. "What happened?"

"Well, when we were having cocktails before dinner, Sissy said they were going away for the rest of the week and when I pressed her…." Scully started.

"Quite impressively, I might add," Mulder interrupted.

"Thank you poopy head," Scully replied, knowing full well that the "cutesy" talk was making Nester gag. "Basically they're moving. I took them to the airport early this morning. They're going house-hunting upstate somewhere and will send movers to pack up their house once they find something."

"Interesting," Nester guffawed processing the information. "Get outta dodge before dodge gets you?"

"So it would seem," Mulder remarked. "Gordy claimed he was getting relocated for his job, but I suspect that he has seen the writing on the wall. Big Mike, Paul Acton, Kami Shroeder … it was just a matter of time before he ended up on the police blotter as a missing person."

Nester was quiet for a second as he fit the pieces together in his head. "So how does that leave you with the patio furniture?" he asked mindlessly.

"We're house sitting," Scully replied flatly. "She gave me the keys this morning."

"Ahh, an interesting turn of events," Nester replied with a grin. "Does that mean we'll be having another bonding session today while Mulder and Dris are playing in the sand box?

"Uh huh," Scully replied with a smirk. "Just promise me we won't get trapped in the basement."

* * *

Mulder chuckled to himself as Driscoll haphazardly swung the backhoe arm around in the front yard, in a futile attempt to dig a uniform hole. The foreman from the street department stood in the background and shook his head in disbelief and after a few minutes waved at him to trade places. Driscoll climbed down from the machine and stepped over to Mulder with his hard hat in his hand.

"Performance anxiety?" Mulder mumbled to him under his breath. He nodded to the small crowd that was beginning to form at the end of his driveway.

"That's harder than it looks buddy," Driscoll retorted defensively.

"Don't get your panties in a bunch," Mulder replied with a smirk. "You've got an audience you know."

Driscoll turned his head and watched the crowd forming near the bottom of the drive. "Nothing like a good peep show," Dris replied as he headed down the driveway to usher the viewing audience away from the back of the machine.

Mulder sighed and walked to the front door of the house, feeling useless just standing there. The crowd at the bottom of the drive way was actually a good thing, considering Scully and Nestor were on a reconnaissance mission of their own at the neighbors. Mulder ducked inside the house for a moment to grab a coke and returned to the front door to find Rick Sams standing there.

"Hi Rick!" Mulder exclaimed as he opened the door just as the man was about to knock. "What brings you down this way?" He asked innocently knowing full well what brought the man to his door.

"Ahh, hi Rob," he said nervously looking back at the backhoe. "Got some activity going on in your yard there….did you, ah, get that approved with the association board?"

"What?" Mulder said acting like he couldn't hear him over the sound of machine.

Sams waved him out of the doorway and walked over toward the garage. Mulder followed with a quizzical expression on his face. _This outta be good_, Mulder thought as he formulated his response to whatever Sams was about to ask. When they had distanced themselves from most of the noise, Rick turned about around to Mulder.

"Did you get that approved with the association?" he asked pointing in the direction of the backhoe.

"No," Mulder replied defiantly.

"What?" Sams replied with a shocked look on his face. "Dude there's a rule about digging in the yards without association approval."

"What? It's my yard!" Mulder argued.

"Yeah, well, you obviously missed that clause in fine print at the bottom of the bill of sale. We just think it's our yard," Sams replied shaking his head. "Ultimately the association owns everything."

Mulder walked over to the van and pulled open the door. He picked up the huge CC&R binder and flipped through a couple of pages. "Well, I _did_ check the rules before I started digging and I didn't see anything that specifically said I needed association approval."

Sams guffawed and shifted his weight on his feet. "Yeah, good luck with that one. This place isn't specific about anything." He looked over at the backhoe and surveyed the yard for a moment. "Well, that's not what I came down here for, bud. I was going to ask if you wanted to shoot hoops up at the park, but you're obviously busy."

"Yeah," Mulder replied trying to act remorseful. "Try me later this week." Mulder watched Sams as he headed down the driveway then turned his attention back to the yard.

* * *

The crash and thud on the ceiling above her caused Scully to drop what she was looking at and run up the stairs. She found Nester kneeling on the floor picking books up from the floor in the first room at the top of the stairs. "What happened?" she barked as she made her way to the top of the stairs.

"Nothing, I just backed into these books," Nester mumbled as he gathered the books and stood up. He looked at her noticing the scowl on her face. "Geezus relax, it's not like the home owners are coming home anytime soon."

"Just because they aren't coming home doesn't mean you can tear up the place," she retorted defensively.

Nester stared at her quizzically. "Are you PMSing?"

"What?"

"That's it isn't it? This whole week, the whole bitchy thing?"

"Excuse me?" Scully stared at Nester in disbelief. _Why do men always blame everything on PMS? __Can a person just have a bad day? _

"Oh, it all makes sense now," Nester chuckled under his breath. "I can' believe I forgot the 'signs' … moodiness, nausea, irrational behavior …"

"Nester!" Scully yelled at him, interrupting his train of thought. "I am not having PMS!"

"Are you sure about that?" he asked her calmly slightly surprised at her reaction. "Because you seem a little off. Out of sorts one might say."

"Grrr, whatever!' Scully growled and stomped out of the room.

Nester watched her leave and shook his head. _Yup, that's definitely PMS at work. _He smiled smugly and went back to snooping on the desk. Nester continued nosing around the second level for another hour and then ran down the stairs to see what Scully was up to. She was sitting on the couch staring blankly at the fireplace. "Find anything?" he asked as he approached her from behind.

"No," she replied flatly.

"What're you doing?"

"Nothing."

"I see that," Nester remarked leaning over the couch to look at her face. "How long have you been sitting here doing nothing?" He watched her head turn slightly and noticed the glassed over expression in her eyes. "Scully?"

"What?" she answered as her eyes refocused on him.

"Are you…."

"Stow Nester!" she exclaimed suddenly. "I was just thinking, that's all." She stood up from the couch and turned to face him. "Did you find anything up there?"

"Not really," Nester said pushing himself off the back of the couch. "I mean, there are some papers up there that link them to the association board, but nothing more." He looked around the first floor, staring at the walls and floor. "Did you find ummm, a trap door to the crawl space?"

"Uh huh," she replied shaking her head. "I fished for that last night, but Sissy said they didn't have one and I didn't see anything down here that looked like one."

"Did you pull up the carpet?" Nester felt the eye daggers of her blazing stare bore straight through him. He stood his ground and stared back at her. _Geezus, if looks could kill,_ he thought as he watched her. "It was just a question," he conceded and shrugged his shoulders. He walked across the floor to the front door, listening for a difference in the sound of his footsteps. It sounded uniform to him and he turned to retrace his steps, only to find Scully standing behind him with her arms crossed at her chest.

"Satisfied?" she replied smartly.

Nester paused a moment before responding to her. _Man does she have a bug up her butt, _he thought as he looked back down at the floor. After a moment he sighed, "yeah, I guess," Nester mumbled and then looked up at the ceiling. "Now that I think about it, this place wouldn't have a crawl space, because there wouldn't be a way to connect to the tunnels."

"What would the tunnels have to do with the crawl spaces?" Scully asked.

"Well, the other board members houses linked to the tunnels …the Vet's, Acton's, Shroeders …it just seemed logical," Nester replied.

"Mulder told me that Gogolak's house didn't have a link," Scully replied.

"Not directly under the house, but the tunnel ran right by the house," Nester countered. "I think that's a little too coincidental."

Scully thought about it for a second and tilted her head. "What if he found the tunnels after he moved in?"

"Huh?"

"Well, I assume that Gogolak's house was one of the first built in the subdivision," Scully stated. "What if he discovered the tunnels later and then linked the other houses to them?"

"Why not all the houses?"

"I don't know," Scully replied. "Maybe he linked just to the board members." She paused a second and then chuckled. "Never mind, this house isn't linked, so that blows that theory."

Nester put up a finger. "No wait! I saw something in the office upstairs. The Vesch's just became board members about a year ago." He ran up the stairs to the office with Scully following close behind. He walked quickly into the office and shuffled the papers in a desk drawer until he found '_Welcome to the Board' _letter and handed the paper to Scully.

She scanned the document quickly. "Okay, that explains why there isn't a crawl space under this house. I'm curious why they became board members," Scully muttered.

"What'd'ya mean? If they were voted in?"

"Well, that and why? Did someone leave the board unexpectedly or…?"

Nester shifted the weight on his feet and tilted his head. "was killed off? Looks like we need to find out who was on the original association board," Nester replied taking the letter from her hand and putting it back into the desk drawer.

"How are we going to do that?" Scully asked him. "Its not like those records are public."

"They might be at the library," Nester replied quickly heading back toward the stairs. "Or we could just go have another conversation with the Jackson's. They're in protective custody for more than just their protection you know."

* * *

Mulder walked down the sidewalk to the driveway admiring the handiwork in the front yard again. The hole the street department had dug was about ten feet wide and six feet deep. He spied Driscoll and the Street Department employee down in the hole looking at something in the dirt which Mulder prayed was human remains. _Anything that would allow an excavation team out here, please! _Mulder thought to himself as he looked up at small crowd standing at the end of the driveway. Suddenly Driscoll and the street department man climbed out of the hole and walked over to the backhoe. Mulder caught Driscoll's attention and his partner shook his head. _Crap! _Mulder thought when he realized there were no bones as of yet.

"Oh, my gosh!" a woman screamed from the street.

Mulder looked up to see a woman in a flowery skirt and pink sweater running up the driveway _Pat Berlander, the welcome wagon, _Mulder processed as she ran toward him with a panic stricken expression on her face.

"What in god's name are you doing?" she shrieked.

Mulder looked at her with an innocent expression on his face. "Putting in a pool," he remarked calmly.

"In your front yard?" she questioned him with a distressed tone. "Are you insane! Did you even look at the CC&R's? You can't just put in a swimming pool…"

Mulder shook his head. "Not a swimming pool," he countered defiantly. "A reflecting pool. I checked the rules," he continued walking over to the van. "There's nothing in the rules about putting in a reflecting pool." Mulder picked up the CC&R binder and flipped the book open to the page about pools and pointed to the passage. He looked up at Berlander and found her craning her neck to look at someone standing behind them. The woman's face was ghostly white and there was fear in her eyes. "It's very tranquil," Mulder added taunting her distress with his word. "You'd like it."

Berlander glanced back at Mulder and stammered over her words for a few seconds, then scampered down the driveway and headed up the street towards Shroeder's house.

Mulder watched her go through the windows of the van and then stepped to the end of the driveway and waved at Shroeder and Gogolak who were standing there watching him. The three some stared at him for a few moments and then disappeared up the driveway.

TBC


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: No Infringement bla bla bla. I only wish I was making money off this.

A/N: Originally I was going to wrap this with Chapter 10 … so I went to Maggie's…this little coffee shop/diner/hole in the wall down the street from my house and starting pounding the keys. After an hour I decided that what I was writing was too predictable and too much like the episode … so I deleted the whole file and started over. This was the result. I hope you like the results and that you are reeled back into the storyline.

Chapter 10

"Ugh! I hate this case!" Scully grumbled as she walked determinedly to Nester's rental car. She squinted and shielded her eyes as she exited the extended-stay hotel where the Jacksons were in protective custody. She glanced back at the building with a disgusted expression on her face. "I'm about sick of the 'I don't know anything' cop out."

"You want to get some lunch?" Nester asked as he rounded the vehicle. Scully was right about their trip to talk to the Jacksons. They were less than forthcoming. _So much for the gratitude of protective custody, _he grumbled silently to himself.

"What?"

Nester smiled at her and then held his hand up, pretending to do sign language as he repeated the question. "I said... do you want to get some lunch?"

"I heard you! Is that all you do is eat?" Scully scowled at him. _The man's stomach is a bottomless pit, _she thought as she yanked the car door open.

"What's that supposed to mean? I haven't eaten anything since breakfast."

"Nester!" Scully retorted sitting down on the seat. "What about those four cookies you just ate in the hotel?"

Nester pulled the car door open and climbed inside. "Excuse me! I'd hardly call eating four cookies a meal."

"Calorie wise it probably is a meal," Scully replied sarcastically. She buckled her seat belt and stared blankly through the windshield.

"Yeah, well, only women count calories," he replied smugly, looking over at her. "I'm a growing boy."

"Keep that up and you'll be growing, all right," she mumbled, staring straight ahead.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Nester questioned her. When she didn't respond he turned the key in the ignition and slammed the car into reverse. "Geezus! I'm glad you aren't my regular partner! I'd be malnourished."

The two drove in silence for several minutes until Nester wheeled the car into the parking lot of a small diner named Maggie's. He parked the car and started to climb out of the vehicle, looking over to see what Scully's response was going to be. He found her staring blankly out of the window.

"Dana!" Nester called to her. She didn't respond. "I'm going to get some lunch. You can sit here and …..continue meditating if you want." He stared at her for another second as she sat in the seat next to him, lost in her own thoughts. When she didn't reply, he shrugged his shoulders. "Suit yourself," he mumbled under his breath and climbed out of the car.

The slamming of the car door jolted Scully from her reverie and she jumped at the sound of it. "Geezus," she mumbled under her breath. She craned her neck around to see where Nester had gone, embarrassed that she hadn't even realized he had parked the car. She caught sight of him just as he walked into the diner. Scully climbed out the car and hustled across the parking lot to catch up with him.

Nester spied her walking in the door and smirked to himself. "Not hungry, huh?" he mumbled under his breath. "Try the wraps," he said more loudly, drawing her attention. "They're healthy, and the veggies are really crunchy."

* * *

Mulder was standing in the kitchen enjoying an ice cold glass of water when his cell phone rang. "Mulder."

"Hey! We're down seven feet and I don't see any remains," Driscoll said from the front yard.

"Are you serious?" Mulder said pacing aimlessly across the room.

"Yeah, I'm serious," Driscoll replied.

"Maybe we need to dig deeper?"

"We? What's this _we_ stuff? You're sitting inside your air conditioned house and I'm the one out here sweating my ass off."

"Don't be bitter," Mulder joked with Dris. "If I remember correctly, you volunteered for the job."

"Yeah, yeah … stop rubbing it in," Dris mumbled into the phone. "Wait, what? Oh, good. No complaints from me. Rob, we're out of here. We'll come back tomorrow and _finish._"

"What? You're leaving me?" Mulder remarked.

"Yeah, with no regrets I might add," Driscoll laughed. "Where's the other half?"

"Doing some research," Mulder replied. "Scully left about two hours ago."

"Okay, well, let's meet up down the street. I'll meet you in thirty minutes at the usual."

* * *

"What're you thinking about?" Nester said after the silence at the table was deafening. Scully hadn't said anything more than _excuse me_ since she sat down.

"The case."

"What about it?"

She sat back in her chair and sighed. "About how disgusted I am with it. I'm sick of people lying to me about what is going on around the neighborhood. Sick of the phony socialite women that hang out at the clubhouse pretending the neighborhood is the American Dream, sick of having nothing to go on but Mulder's wild imagination, sick of …."

"Geezus, tell me how you really feel!" Nester interrupted.

Scully looked over at her partner and smirked. "Was I ranting?"

"Slightly," Nester said pushing his plate to the side. He pulled his case notes out of his pocket. "Okay," he mumbled skimming through the notes. "So basically we had more information when we left the Vesch's house than we do now. The Jacksons were completely useless, and I agree … the '_I don't know' _defense is getting a little old."

"I was surprised that you didn't put the full court press on them for more information," Scully replied, taking the note book from Nester.

"I was trying to be nice," Nester replied. "Besides, what's the point? Three other cops have talked to them and the only person to get any information was Mulder when he talked to the kid."

"Yeah," Scully replied rolling her eyes. "Just what we needed … one overactive imagination feeding another."

"Now, now, now, girlfriend," Nester chided her. "The kid was spot on about the tunnels, the cavern, and the disappearances."

Scully pursed her lips and raised her eyebrows. She leaned into the table and whispered caustically, "Don't forget he claims to have seen a monster eating his friend!"

"Your partner saw that same monster chase your neighbor across the front yard," Nester retorted. "Are you saying Mulder is making it up?"

Scully shrugged her shoulders and sat back against her chair. "No, I believe he saw _something_. I'm not convinced it was a monster, though." She sighed heavily.

"Okay ...You think we'll have more luck at the library?" Nester asked, changing the subject.

"The association records should all be listed as part of the public record," Scully replied quietly. She bit her lip and tilted her head in thought. "Have the neighbors ever seen you when you've been over?"

"Maybe. Why?"

"I was just thinking that if we come up empty handed at the library, you could go to the realtor's office and pretend to be a prospective buyer," Scully suggested.

Nester laughed at the thought of it, and the visual flashed through his mind. "Ha! Yeah, I could go there with my sister and pretend she's my wife!"

"Too bad Tracy isn't here," Scully blurted out. "She would probably be into playing house with you for a couple of weeks."

"Tracy?" Nester exclaimed thinking about Scully's remark. Tracy was his partner's sister and there was a mutual attraction between them, but it was nothing that either had acted on. _Scully knows about that? _he thought quickly. _Holy shit! She doesn't miss much. _"Why do you say that?"

"Oh don't act like there isn't an attraction there," Scully replied smugly.

"There is an attraction, but she's…. she's practically like my lil'sister!" Nester replied defensively. He turned the subject back on her. "Did you get that thing with Mulder worked out?"

"What thing?"

"Dana, don't be dumb!"

Scully shifted in her seat uncomfortably. "We haven't had a talk about it yet, if that's what you mean," she replied.

"Why not?"

"I haven't had the time."

"What? You're living together. How can you not have the time?"

Scully looked at him and shook her head. He was staring at her, and it was making her very uncomfortable. He had looked at the Jacksons the same way, and she wondered why he wasn't able to 'break' them into divulging something. "I'm not ready, I guess," she finally blurted out.

"Ready for what?" Nester questioned. "To admit you're completely whipped?"

"It's more complicated than that," Scully replied.

"How is it more complicated?" Nester said. He leaned into the table. "All you have to do is say …"

"It's not about love, Nester," Scully interrupted.

He sat back against his chair. "It's always about love."

"No, it's not. Sometimes love just isn't enough," Scully remarked quietly.

"Well, what more do you want? And don't you dare say '_something normal'_ because Aunt Betty would have to say something about that!" Nester retorted.

"I don't …."

"You don't what? Trust him? That's crap," Nester interrupted.

Scully bit her lip. "I don't know what it is," she sighed. "And until I figure it out, I can't talk to him about it."

"Maybe talking to him about it will help you figure it out," Nester replied. He stood up from the chair and looked down at her. "You never had problems talking to each other when you were _just friends_. Maybe you need to change the parameters of your relationship until you get things straight in your head. Don't string him along, Dana. You can't have your cake and eat it too." Nester turned and walked toward the door. _Women! _he thought to himself as he pushed open the door and headed toward the car.

* * *

Driscoll scanned the crowd, half listening to the conversation between Gervase and Bates, the two San Diego police officers working on the case that had met him at the Red Truck Grill. Mulder was an hour over-due, and considering the stares the neighborhood had given Driscoll when he had pulled away from Mulder's house, he was concerned for his friend's welfare. A wave of relief rolled over him as he caught sight of the yellow jeep pulling into the parking lot of the bar. Driscoll waved him over as soon as Mulder made his entrance.

"I was starting to worry about you," Dris said as Mulder approached. "I was about ready to call for reinforcements."

"Sticks and stones, my friend," Mulder chuckled and ordered a beer from the bartender. "Stares will never hurt me."

"You think," Bates said, adding his two cents worth. "There seemed to be a lot of activity at your neighbors house, Berlander's…"

"Gogolak's," Gervase piped in.

"Really?" Mulder questioned. "After my driveway encounter?" Mulder tilted his head in thought. Officers Gervase and Bates were undercover in the neighborhood all afternoon watching for any activity from the association board. Gervase was stationed down by Gogolak's house and Bates was working the street above Mulder's as a cable television repairman. "I don't remember seeing either one of them leave Shroeder's, did you Dris?"

"Ah, no …. I didn't see anything," Dris commented.

"Well, I didn't see them leave Shroeder's either. But, mysteriously, Gogolak came out of Berlander's garage, got into a car parked in the driveway and drove off," Bates stated matter-of-factly.

"So how did he get down there?" Dris asked absent-mindly.

Mulder cursed under his breath. "The friggen tunnels!" _Son-of-a-bitches were right under our noses all afternoon! _Mulder chided himself for not considering it earlier. He pursed his lips in frustration.

Driscoll noticed the frustration on his partner's face. "Crap! Don't beat yourself up over it, Mulder," Driscoll countered. "We all missed it." Driscoll took a swig of his beer and was quiet for a minute. "Gervase, you said there was activity at Gogolak's when he got back there?"

Gervase was mid-swallow on his beverage and nodded his head. He set his glass down on the bar. "Geez, I almost forget. Right after Gogolak got home this guy pulled up in his driveway and had a long conversation with Gogolak in his garage." Gervase fished a Polaroid photo out of his shirt pocket and handed it to Mulder. The man in the photo was Rick Sams, Mulder's neighbor and Scully's brother's co-worker.

"Hey, wasn't that the guy that wanted to play basketball with you this morning?" Dris asked as he peered at the photo.

"Yeah," Mulder guffawed as he stared at the photo. _I knew that guy couldn't be trusted, _he thought. "He works with Scully's brother at the Naval base."

"He's Navy?" Dris questioned. "He's a little heavy."

"Civilian," Mulder muttered. "He tried to befriend me last week."

"Did he tell you he worked with Scully's brother?" Bates questioned with a perplexed expression on his face.

Mulder shook his head. "No, Scully went to dinner with her brother last week and he told her that Sams lived right down the street," Mulder explained, handing the photo back to Gervase. "That was the same night Sams introduced himself and wanted to shoot hoops with me." Mulder laughed at the irony of it all. "He tried to warn me that using my portable hoop would be an association violation."

"Well, we don't know what he was doing there," Gervase offered. "He could've been there for some legitimate reason."

"There are no legitimate reasons in this community," Mulder remarked dryly. His cell phone rang before he could comment any further. He unclipped the phone from the holder on his jean pocket and stepped away from Dris and the officers to answer it. "Mulder."

"Mulder it's me," Scully said. "Nester and I are at the library and guess what we found out."

"That Rick Sams is on the association board?"

"Not exactly," Scully replied slowly. "How did you know that?"

"Gervase has him on film at Gogolak's house this afternoon. What'd you have on him?"

"He ran for the association board three times in the past three years. Each time he lost by just one or two votes to Big Mike, the Vesch's, and Paul Acton."

"Yeah, right … I bet he lost," Mulder chuckled. "Sounds like a case of the ole stuffing of the ballot box."

"Do you think we should go talk to him?"

"Ahhh, no," Mulder replied biting his lip. "I don't want to blow our cover just yet. We're too close."

"Do I get a say in this?"

"Sure, you always have a say, Scully."

"Really?" Scully quizzed him. "Then you're going to let me have my way?"

"Well, I don't know about that," Mulder replied, joking with her.

"Mulder this has gone on long enough! We need to bring him in, if not tonight, tomorrow," Scully said pleading her case. "Nester and the PD can pick him up tomorrow at the base. We need some straight answers about what the hell is going on over there and I think he's the guy to give it to us."

"Scully, I don't trust him," Mulder argued.

"Mulder this isn't about trust!" Scully interrupted. "It's about getting some damn answers. This time, I call the shots!" The call dropped before she could continue her tirade.

_Man, is she getting bitchy! _Mulder thought to himself as he clipped his phone back into its holder. He turned back to Driscoll and the officer's conversation.

"What'd she find out?" Dris asked nodding toward the phone.

"Nothing we didn't already know," Mulder said. "This thing is starting to smell like a rat."

"I agree," Dris nodded. "I'm getting that 'sick' feeling that something is going down. I don't think you two should be alone tonight at the house."

"That's going to be difficult," Mulder remarked. "A sleep-over might ward off any activity…"

"And that's exactly what we want," Officer Gervase blurted out. The four men nodded in unison. "What about surveillance from the neighbors?"

"Shroeder's on one side and there's an unfriendly old man on the other," Mulder remarked as his mind raced trying to find a solution.

"What about that house behind you?" Dris asked. "Didn't you say the residents were gone?"

"Yeah, they left town," Mulder replied. "Scully has the keys. We'll have to be careful about getting into position. It can't be anything obvious."

Gervase and Bates exchanged glances. "We could drop two undercover officers at the park and have them come up to your place through the tunnel." Gervase offered.

"Jobgen and I could run it tonight," Bates added. "I could set up shop at the neighbors and he could camp out in the tunnels."

"That would cover both bases. Are you good with that, Mulder?" Dris asked in a Senior Agent way. It wasn't really a question.

"Yeah, I'm good with that," Mulder nodded agreeing with Driscoll.

"Okay, let's call it a night then," Dris said. "We'll reconvene tomorrow morning at the PD."

* * *

"Scully, what'd'ya want for dinner?" Mulder yelled out to his partner as he ran down the stairs from the second level. He found Scully sitting in front of the fireplace, staring hypnotically into the flames. He walked up behind her and began to rub her shoulders. Her neck muscles were tight, and after a moment she sighed and relaxed into his touch.

"Hmmm, magic hands," she mumbled relaxing into his touch.

"I have a lot of tricks up my sleeve," Mulder replied quietly. He stopped rubbing her shoulders and walked around the couch to sit down next to her.

"Corny," Scully chuckled. "You use that line often?"

"Every chance I get," Mulder replied. "It works especially well at the grocery store."

"Please," Scully cringed rolling her eyes. She stretched her arms over her head and yawned. "Hmm, what time is it?"

"Eight thirty," Mulder said, looking at his watch. He leaned back against the pillow. "Are you hungry?"

_There's that food thing again,_ Scully thought looking over at him.

'What's that look about?" Mulder asked as she stared him down.

"Why are you guys obsessed with food?" Scully asked as she stood up from the couch. She started to walk around the sofa, heading for the kitchen.

"You guys?" Mulder replied grabbing her hand. "What guys would those be?"

"Nester," Scully said looking down at him.

"You're lumping me in with Nester?" Mulder retorted. "Thanks a lot." He let go of her hand and stuck his lip out in a pout.

Scully ran her fingers through his hair and leaned over to place a kiss on his forehead. "If the shoe fits," she whispered quietly.

Mulder pulled back and locked eyes with her. He held her stare, sharing an unspoken communication. A knock at the door interrupted their thoughts. "Sounds like we have a visitor," Mulder said with a smirk on his face.

* * *

The only sounds from the darkened living room were the steady ticking of the clock on the mantel and the soft chirping of the menu screen from the DVD left playing in the machine. Mulder jerked awake and made a visual sweep of his surroundings. He tried to sit up, only to discover Scully asleep on his chest. He looked down at her soft red hair and ran his fingers through it absent-mindedly as he listened carefully to the sounds of the house. Mulder looked over at the clock and squinted to see the time. Two thirty a.m. Jobgen and Bates had been in position for over five hours.

Mulder reached over his head to pick up his cell phone from the end table. He flipped the phone open to check if he had missed a call from either of the pair. There was nothing on the screen. Mulder was silent for another moment. He didn't like the feel of the room. Something had awakened him, and it wasn't the TV or the clock on the mantle.

TBC


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11.

Scully paced the length of the small kitchen as she listened to the hollow sound of the cell phone ringing in her ear. She looked over at the trap door that lead to the crawl space and looked at her watch. Only a few minutes had past since the last time she had checked and Mulder had still not emerged from the basement.

"Bates."

"Yeah, Rodney," Scully stammered in the phone. She was uncomfortable calling the officer by his first name as she barely knew the man. "Do you know when the doorman is going to arrive?" She winced as she heard the words come out of her mouth. _That sounds so dumb, _she thought. _Damn that Mulder and his secret codes! _

"I spoke to him about five minutes ago," Bates said dryly. "He's on the way. He should be there in an hour."

"Great," Scully replied rolling her eyes. She closed the phone and tossed it on the countertop. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" she said aloud to no one in particular.

Scully wandered toward the front door and paced nervously in the hallway. Patience wasn't one of her strong suits, especially when it involved unknown subjects lurking in or around her house. As much as this case drove her crazy, the unknown elements scared the hell out of her. The cryptic information Bates had recited was code that Jobgen was okay in his position under their house. _Mulder didn't even have to go down there, _Scully thought as she headed back toward the door. _So much for trying to be the hero._

"Scully."

Scully swirled around on her heel and jumped at the sound of his voice. "Geezus Mulder," she gasped when she saw him standing there. "Bates reported that Jobgen's okay," she mumbled trying to act like he hadn't startled her.

"I know, I just talked to him," Mulder said looking at her carefully. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Scully replied calmly, taking a breath to steady herself. "I'm just ready for bed." Scully walked to the bottom of the stairs and started up the flight.

"Hmmm," Mulder growled with a sly grin on his face. "I like a woman that takes charge."

Scully rolled her eyes as she trudged up the stairs. Nester's words were playing like a broken record in her head as she walked down the hallway and she could hear Mulder following her in silence. Suddenly Scully was nervous.

"What was Jobgen doing down there?" Scully asked mindlessly to break up the tension.

"Nothing," Mulder replied as he walked into the master bedroom. He pulled his shirt over his head and threw it into the hamper. "He said it's really cold down there," he added walking into the bathroom.

Scully watched him intently and then followed him into the small room. "Mulder can I talk to you a second?" she asked sitting down on the side of the tub.

He glanced over at her and caught the serious look on her face. He sighed and braced himself for the worst. "As your lover, partner or friend?" he asked turning to face her.

Scully hesitated a moment. She ran her tongue over her lips. "As my partner," she replied slowly.

Mulder nodded. "What's on your mind?"

"Are you … going to let me bring Sams in tomorrow?" she blurted out in one breath. _Damn,_ she cursed herself losing the nerve to have "the" conversation with him.

"Am I going to _let_ you?" Mulder repeated. "Scully when have you ever needed my permission to run the case?"

"You've been telling me what to do since we got here," Scully said firmly.

"What?" Mulder guffawed with a baffled expression on his face. "Scully, I haven't told you once what to do on this case. _We _are running the case like we always do. I do my thing and you …" Mulder gestured around the room. "You go after the scientific and then argue with me on all my theories."

Scully shook her head and chuckled. "Okay, Mulder, whatever," she replied abruptly and stood up from the bathtub to leave the room.

"Oh, no," Mulder said stepping over to the door to block her from walking away from him. "It's not okay, whatever," Mulder said. "What the hell is bothering you? You've been moody for days.'

Scully stopped in her tracks and looked him in the eye. _I'm not friggen moody,_ she thought to herself as she gave him the "look". "I'm moody?" she replied.

"Yeah," Mulder said staring back at her. "And I'm not the only one who's noticed."

"Oh, like Nester is an expert on women and their moods?" Scully retorted, with a slightly raised voice.

"He's pretty perceptive about female tendencies," Mulder countered. "He grew up with four sisters you know."

"And that makes him an expert?"

"Scully, he has a degree in psychology."

"Oh, right … that's why he accused me of PMSing!" Scully yelled and threw her hands up in the air. "Why am I the one getting accused of being moody? You're the one that started this fight."

Mulder pulled his head back and looked at her quizzically. He could practically see the steam coming from her ears. "Excuse me?" he asked.

"You started it the other day," Scully replied flatly.

"When?"

"You don't remember?" Scully muttered in disbelief. "The other day when you accused me of eating your breakfast."

Mulder starting laughing at her. "You're still pissed about that? Please!"

"You're laughing! It's not funny Mulder!" Scully remarked. She was totally pissed now. It was just like him to make light of whatever happened the other day and expect her to let it go. And normally she would let it go, except this time, that whole episode was just a smoke screen for what was really bothering her. She looked up into his hazel eyes and stared at him for a moment. He had that look about him, like he was psycho-analyzing her.

"What's really bothering you?" Mulder said softly.

Scully took a deep breath and exhaled heavily. He was wearing her down just by staring at her. "I'm sorry about Ethan."

Mulder pursed his lips and nodded. "Okay," he remarked slowly. "That's a start. Why did you lie about him?"

"Well, it wasn't exactly a lie. Just an omission of information," Scully replied.

"Isn't that the same thing?" Mulder asked her.

Scully smirked. _Yeah, it's the same thing when we are interrogating a suspect, but not when you are talking to me,_ she thought quickly. "Why did you go that way anyway? Were you spying on me?" She asked turning it back on him.

"No!" Mulder replied shaking his head. "I went to shoot hoops at the Y after work. Little did I know I was going to catch you in a lip lock with wonder-boy."

Scully crossed her arms at her chest and leaned against the vanity. "Either was I," she said remorsefully.

"So, are you dating him now?" Mulder ventured carefully.

'Hardly," Scully muttered looking up at him. "Do you think I'd sleep with you if I was seeing him?"

"Well, I would hope not," Mulder replied with a somber expression. "I know how irresistible I am."

"Is that what Diana thinks?"

Mulder rolled his eyes and scowled. "It always comes back to her," he muttered. "Why can't you trust me?"

Scully felt her heart skip a beat as she searched within for an answer. Jealousy was the only reason she could come up with and it sounded a little lame right now. _Here's goes nothing, _she thought as she tilted her head to the side. "Mulder," she began. She stopped suddenly and turned her head again. _What was that? _she thought listening for the sound.

"What's wrong?" Mulder asked her as he saw her expression change.

"Did you hear that?" Scully asked ducking under his arm and walking into the bedroom. A popping sound echoed quietly in the night. "That sounded like a shot."

Mulder listened intently to the background sounds until he heard the popping for himself. "Go check on Bates," Mulder directed her as he pulled her service revolver from the dresser drawer. "I'll get the tunnel," he remarked as he handed the gun to her and headed for the stairs.

Scully followed Mulder down the stairs and slipped into the kitchen to retrieve the keys to the Vesch's house from their spot by the refrigerator. She walked to the sliding glass door and looked back at the nook to see Mulder drop out-of-sight into the crawl space.

Scully pushed the sliding glass door open and stepped out into the night air. She closed the door and quietly snuck across the yard to the garage door at the Vesch's. She left herself in with the key and walked quietly through the garage to the main door of the house.

Scully entered the hallway from the garage with confidence. She paused a moment to allow her eyes to adjust to the darkness when she suddenly felt sick to her stomach in anticipation of what she would find. The only sound she could hear was her own heart beat pounding in her ear. Scully took a deep breath to calm her nerves. _Geezus Dana, you've done this a thousand times, pull it together! _she scolded herself as she scanned the darkened hallway.

Scully started down the hallway and peered around the doorway of the laundry room. When she was sure it was clear, she stepped half into the room with her gun leveled at shoulder height. She noticed her hands were shaking and shook her head. _Calm down! _she scolded herself. Scully took several breaths to shake her nervousness before continuing but her mind was playing tricks on her. She couldn't focus on her task, as images of her conversations with Nester kept flooding her thoughts. She leaned up against the washing machine and tried to blot out the noise in her head. _Okay, okay… Nester is right, _she told herself. _I need to talk this out with Mulder and stop blaming that woman for my insecurities. _Scully took another deep breath and felt her confidence coming back. _When I get back to the house, _she told herself one final time.

Just as she stepped into the doorway to continue down the hall, she heard a low cry coming from the living room. She left the room quickly and made her way along the wall toward the sound. As she came around the corner to the foyer, she found Bates wrestling with a man twice his size.

"Freeze!" Scully shouted as she leveled her weapon on the subject. The man released his hold on Bates, stood upright and turned toward Scully. He hesitated and then began to run toward her. His footsteps were sluggish and his movements exaggerated, like he was moving in slow motion. Scully watched him coming toward her, paralyzed for a moment. At the last second she yelled out again. "Stop!" she yelled and felt her finger pull back on the trigger of her gun.

As the bullet released from barrel, the man reached out and firmly shoved Scully to the floor. The shot appeared to hit the man point blank in the chest, but it didn't faze him.

The force against her body hit Scully like a freight train and as she fell backward her head collided with the wood flooring. Her gun clattered out of her reach across the floor. She looked up into the face of her attacker as he loomed over her. His face was like no other, dark and matted. She heard a low growl come from his throat as he approached her like prey. _Damn it Dana! This is it, _she thought as she fought to remain conscious. _He's going to kill me and I never got up the courage to tell Mulder how I feel! _As the blackness began to envelope her vision, she felt a wet heaviness dripping on her skin and heard the popping sound of gun shots ringing over her ears.

……

The coolness of the floor was the first sensation Scully felt as she slowly became aware of her surroundings. She could smell Mulder's cologne and felt the warmth of Mulder's hand against her face. She could hear muffled voices surrounding her, but couldn't focus on what they were saying. She tried to speak, but felt like her mouth was stuffed with cotton balls.

"Mulda?" she finally gasped as she tried to open her eyes.

"Scully?"

She registered his voice clearer this time. She opened her eyes and squinted up at Mulder. His face was blurry above her. "Mulda, I wazjealzsch," she mumbled struggling to sit up.

"Hey, whoa," he replied calmly putting his hand gently on her shoulder. He watched her eyes roll up in her head and felt her body fall against his arm. "Easy, you got clunked in the head pretty good. Scully?"

"Here's an icepack," Jobgen said to Mulder. He squeezed the bag until it popped and then shook it to mix the chemicals inside. Once it started to cool, he handed it to Mulder.

"Thanks," Mulder replied taking the pack from the officer. He put in on the back of Scully's neck and called her name again.

"Does she need an ambulance?" Jobgen asked.

"No, I don't think so," Mulder said. "She's coming around." He looked over at Bates leaning up against the wall in the foyer. "I don't want to draw any attention to the situation, but they both need to get checked out."

"I'll get the car," Jobgen said as he helped Bates stand up and the two men made their way to the sliding glass door. "We'll meet you in the garage in five minutes."

"We'll be right behind you," Mulder replied as he watched Jobgen and Bates head out. He turned his attention back to his partner. "Scully, are you with me?"

"Mulda," Scully whispered as her eyes fluttered opened. "Zorrybouttan. I wazjealzsch."

"I know, I get it," Mulder replied with a chuckle. "How many fingers do you see?" he asked her holding three fingers in front of her face.

"Three," she whispered, a little more clearly this time. Scully struggled to sit up with Mulder's assistance. She looked around the room noticing the muddy footprints along the hallway. "What happened?" she mumbled looking him in the eye.

"I was hoping you could tell me," Mulder said as he ran his fingers through her hair examining the bump on the back of her head. He moved the ice pack over it. "Looks like Bates interrupted an intruder and you took the brunt of his exit."

"I shot him," Scully replied seeing it in her mind. "Once in the chest."

Mulder looked around at the floor for any signs of blood. Both he and Scully had heard gun shots earlier and Bates had reported firing several rounds as well, but the only signs on the floor were spent casings. "Are you sure? Before or after he hit you?" He saw her gun laying a few feet away.

"Before," Scully replied slightly irritated.

"Don't get mad, Scully," Mulder countered. "There isn't any blood on the floor."

Scully watched him as he reached over and picked up the weapon and pulled out the clip. She ran her hand down the front of her shirt and smeared the muddy goop with her hand. She looked at her hand to see what she had touched. _Is that blood? _

"Mulder, there's blood on my shirt!" she blurted out loudly.

Mulder turned back to her and swept the beam of the flashlight over her shirt checking for its origin. When he was certain that she hadn't been shot, he examined her palm closely. "I don't think its blood," he replied calmly pushing the magazine clip back into her gun. "It looks like the same stuff we found before… on the fan blade and the back of the jeep."

He stood up from the floor and walked into the kitchen to retrieve a towel for her. He walked back to Scully and handed it to her while he made a sweep of the room with the flashlight looking for bullet holes in the walls. There was nothing. He turned back to Scully and helped her to her feet. "Come on," he said pulling her up. "We need to get you and Bates checked at the hospital."

Once Scully was on her feet, she put a hand against his chest. "Mulder wait," she said trying to steady herself.

"Are you okay?" Mulder asked as he tilted her head back to look in her eyes.

"Yeah, I'm just a little …," she mumbled pulling out of his grasp. "I'm sorry about Ethan. I was … am jealous of Diana. I don't like her and I don't trust her. "

Mulder bit his lip. This was hardly the time to talk about this, but it was apparent that she wasn't going to let it go. "Do we need to talk about this right now?"

"Yes, I just need to get it off my chest," Scully replied ruefully. "I know I can't pick your friends for you Mulder, but my feelings for her are not going to change."

Mulder ran his hand down the side of her arm. "It's no secret that you don't like her," he started. "But that's not the real issue between us. Is it?" he asked her.

Scully took a deep breath. It was more of a statement rather than a question. He knew her all too well, to the point that she couldn't hide anything from him. He was right, Diana was just the smoke screen for the real issue. She shook her head. "No, it's just …." she paused and looked at the floor searching for the right words. The silence between the pair was deafening. Finally Mulder broke the ice.

"Scully you asked me to trust you. I do and even on those occasions when I didn't or thought that you were wrong for whatever reason, in the end, I've always come back to you," Mulder said. His hand lingered at her palm and he grasped her hand in his. "I know that trust is the issue between us and …."

"It's not," Scully interrupted. "I trust you, Mulder. It's just …." She stammered under her words. _Dammit! Why can't I just say it! _she wondered to herself. _I don't even know what I want to say. _She bit her lip and felt tears brimming in her eyes.

Mulder pulled her hand up to his chest and pressed it against his breastbone with his palm. "You trust me with your life, and on most occasions you trust my gut instinct and my judgment. But you have yet to let your guard down and trust me with your heart."

Scully looked up into his face and found herself being pulled into the hypnotic stare of his hazel eyes. _Why is it that he knows me so well, and yet I'm still trying to figure him out? _she wondered as she tried desperately to find words that would explain her feelings … or maybe just the reason she was so tongue tied. _Maybe I'm just being stupid, _she mused. _Why does everything have to be so complicated with my life? _

"I love you Mulder," Scully coughed out finally. She felt a tear escape down her cheek.

Mulder caught it with his fingertips and ran his thumb over her lips. "This isn't about love Scully. I don't doubt your love for me," Mulder said quietly. "You just need to trust me enough to let me in."

Scully held his gaze and then leaned forward into his arms. She felt his arms circle her back and his hand rest softly in 'his spot' at her waist. Despite that he had spelled out the whole thing for her, she felt good that it was finally out in the open. _I guess it's good that he understands me_, Scully thought as she sniffled into his shoulder. _Since obviously I can't figure myself out. _

"Mulder, I …." Scully began as she pulled back from his embrace.

"Shh, it's okay," he mumbled into her hair. "I'm not ready to give you up as my partner anyway."

_Damn him! _Scully thought to herself. _He thinks I need to let him in? Maybe I need to let myself in. _She sighed and looked up into his eyes. "Okay, I'm glad that's off my chest."

Mulder nodded knowingly. "Can I take you to the hospital now to get checked out?"

Scully nodded, took the ice pack out of his hand and placed it on the back of her next. She followed him out of the house and into the night.

…….

TBC


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Mulder sat in the waiting room at the hospital with his elbows resting heavily on his knees. He held his head in his hands and stared blankly at the floor. It always ended like this … in a hospital waiting room. Mulder mentally counted the number of times a case ended with Scully or him lying in a hospital bed. _Too many, _Mulder mused. He ran his fingers over the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath trying to clear his head. His thoughts lingered over Scully's admission at the house just minutes ago. _More like my reading between the lines, _he thought. _She'll never tell me how she really feels…she doesn't even know herself. _

"Agent Mulder."

Mulder turned his head at the sound of the voice and looked up at Lieutenant Peters standing in the hallway. "Lieutenant," he acknowledged sitting back in the chair.

"Bates is being admitted for observation," Peters reported. "I don't have any word on Agent Scully yet."

"She went down for a Cat Scan," Mulder replied looking up at the ceiling.

"You've got that look on your face like you've been here before," Peters remarked.

Mulder shook his head and stood from the chair. "More times than I care to remember," he said ruefully.

"Agent, I don't think I need to remind you that incidents like these come with the territory," Peters replied calmly. "We didn't choose careers in law enforcement because it's easy."

"Yeah, well, I don't remember hospital stays as part of the recruitment brochure," Mulder replied sarcastically.

Peters rolled his eyes and shrugged his shoulders. "Gervase and Jobgen are going back to the house to photograph the crime scene and clean the place up," Peter replied changing the subject. "Undercover," he added not that it was necessary.

"Agent Mulder," a female voice called to him from down the hallway to Mulder's left. He turned to see Scully's doctor approaching.

"I'll meet up with you later," the lieutenant commented nodding his head to the right. He shook Mulder's hand and walked in the opposite direction.

"Agent Mulder," the ER doctor repeated. "Your partner is back in her room. I'm going to hold her for observation for a couple of hours," she said. "Everything came back okay on the scan. She'll probably have a headache and some dizziness later."

Mulder nodded numbly and made his way down the hall. He formulated his words in his head while trying to control the gamut of emotions he was feeling. He was relieved that she was okay. She had seemed out of it at the house in typical Scully style – trying to act like she wasn't hurt. Mulder chuckled at the irony of it. He could see right through her sometimes, just like how she could see through him. He hesitated outside her door.

"Hey," he said smiling as he pushed opened the door. "I just talked to your doctor. She said you're alright." He walked to her bed and sat down on the edge. He watched her as she picked up his hand and laced her fingers around his.

"She's holding me for observation," Scully said with a pouty expression on her face.

Mulder chuckled at her expression. "Did you think you were going to get out of that?"

"There's nothing wrong with me," she replied flatly.

"Okay Dr. Scully," Mulder remarked quietly, not in the mood to argue with her. He bit his lip and planned his next move. "Bates was admitted."

"Is he okay?"

"I talked to him earlier," Mulder replied. "He's pretty banged up, his arm is broken in two places, bunch of cuts, and he has a big gash on his head." Mulder described pointing at his head. Scully chuckled at his descriptors. "What?" he asked.

"Banged up, big gash?" Scully commented with raised eyebrows. "Not very clinical."

"Well, I'm not the doctor," he replied. "Just the psychologist." Mulder lifted her hand in his and ran his thumb across her palm, massaging the heel of her hand. "So are you ready to tell me what happened?"

Scully growled seductively under his touch. "Oh, I get it," she replied with half a smile. "Tease me into submission."

Mulder was amused by her sudden playfulness. _She must have hit her head harder than I thought; _he mused still rubbing her hand. He grabbed at the IV line playfully and squinted up at the bag. "Whoa, what kind of drugs are you on?" He arched his eyebrows at her.

"It's a plain IV Mulder," Scully replied looked him.

"Humph, that's all? I was going to try to hook into it," Mulder said remorsefully. He sighed and looked up at her. "So?"

"There's not really much to tell," Scully started slowly. "When I got to the house, I found Bates in a scuffle with the guy. I directed him to stop and he turned on me."

"What do you mean, he turned on you?"

Scully closed her eyes as she tried to explain. "I yelled for him to stop. He turned and ran toward me. I yelled stop again and he shoved me to the floor."

"When he shoved you, did he push you with his arm or was he close enough to hit you with his body?"

"His arm I think," Scully said.

"When did you fired at him?"

"Right when he shoved me. I pulled the trigger as I was falling to the floor."

Mulder nodded his head and bit his lip. "Did you get a good look at him?" he asked carefully watching her facial expressions. This was the moment of truth. Bates had given a very specific description of the attacker. The description was nearly identical to Ben's recollection of the monster that had attacked his friend and of the creature Mulder had chased across Shroeder's front yard.

"He was large, both tall and built," Scully started without hesitation. "His face was dark like he had camouflage paint on it."

"That's it?" Mulder asked. "That sounds like half the guys in the neighborhood," he joked trying to see what else she would say. He sensed that she was hiding details from him.

"Mulder," she said with an annoyed tone. "It was dark in there and he came at me fast. I didn't have a lot of time to be checking out his vital statistics."

Mulder could see that she was getting frustrated. Her face was flushed and she had that "_Mulder you're pissing me off" _look in her eye. "Okay, uncle," Mulder conceded. He squeezed her hand and leaned in to brush his lips across hers. "Why don't you rest for now? I'll come back and check on you in a little while." He stood from her bed and put the side rail up and quietly left her room.

When he stepped into the hall, he ran straight into Agent Driscoll. "Hey Dris," Mulder said nearly bumping into him.

"I was looking for you," Dris mumbled as he ducked. "Scully okay?"

"Yeah, she's going to have a headache though," Mulder muttered. "If she doesn't have one already. She'll be released in a couple of hours."

"What about Bates?"

"Let's find a room where we can talk," Mulder said inclining his head to the right. The two men walked down the hallway and found the lounge empty. They both walked inside the small room. Mulder walked to the mirror and looked blankly into the parking lot as Driscoll made himself a cup of coffee behind him.

"So, Bates?" Driscoll prompted Mulder to bring him back to the conversation.

"He's been admitted. He got the crap kicked out of him," Mulder said turning from the window.

"Did he get a look at the guy?" Driscoll asked leaning back against the counter.

"More or less," Mulder replied shrugging his shoulders.

"Mulder," Dris started shaking his head. "Cut the crap. It's me. Was it a man or the creature from the black lagoon?"

"The creature from the black lagoon lived in Pennsylvania. But based on his description? I'd put it in the "or" category," Mulder replied dryly.

"Did Scully see anything?" Dris asked taking a drink from his cup. "And more to the point does her description match?"

"More or less," Mulder said. "Big, dark, and fast seems to be the consensus. Matches the description Ben gave in his statement and the _thing _I chased across the yard."

Driscoll nodded and took another drink of his coffee. "Anyone else see it?"

"Maybe. Jobgen thinks he saw something and he may have gotten a photo of it," Mulder replied walking over to the coffee pot. He poured a cup of the black liquid and dumped some powdered creamer into in. "He and Gervase went back to the house to photograph the crime scene."

"Let me get this straight," Driscoll said looking over at Mulder. "Bates is in the house and this thing just appears out of nowhere, kicks the snot out of him and then attacks Scully?"

"Well, it didn't exactly appear out of nowhere," Mulder remarked. "From the looks of the house, it entered and exited through the front door."

"Well, at least he's polite," Dris replied shaking his head at the absurdity of it. "What about that guy that's missing …. What's his name? Mike? What're the chances this _"thing" _is him?"

Mulder bit his lip and paced across the room. "I'm not ruling him out just yet," he said. He turned to face Driscoll. "There's just some evidence that is a little…suspicious," he remarked giving Driscoll that all-knowing look.

"What?"

"Bates said when he was wrestling it, he was trying to grab onto it. The arm, shoulder or chest … and was just coming up with handfuls of mud and ….gunk," Mulder replied flatly. "That stuff was all over the floor in the house. Bates was covered with it and it was on Scully's shirt."

"Okay, so the guy's a little muddy," Driscoll shrugged trying to make sense of it all. "He's living in your basement for crist-sake!"

"Bates unloaded his firearm at point blank range without even stopping it," Mulder added. "If that thing was a man, he'd be dead."

Driscoll set his coffee cup down and was about to launch another objection when Mulder's phone rang. He stood there watching the man answer the call while he mulled the information on the case around in his head. He respected Mulder and his cause. Sometimes he just didn't understand the X-file _weirdness _of his cases. It didn't seem logical to him. _No wonder why Scully has a hard time wrapping her brain around it, _he thought to himself. _Monsters killing people and disposing of the bodies? Hell no! _He focused back in on Mulder, just as his partner snapped his cell phone shut.

"That was Jobgen," Mulder said tossing his cup in the trash. "They're on their way to the station with the film. Let's go over there."

"What about Scully?" Driscoll asked mindlessly.

"I'll come back and get her later," Mulder said as he walked to the door. "She needs her rest."

"And you don't?"

"I'll nap in the car," Mulder said holding the door open for his friend.

"Well, just don't drool on my shoulder," Driscoll smarted back at him. "I get enough of that from Nester."

* * *

The air in Lieutenant Peter's office was thick with tension. Four men stood in a semi-circle around the lieutenant's desk staring at a series of 8x10 photographs. The room was silent except for the ruffling of photo paper being passed wordlessly between them. No one dare make any comment as they tried to make some sense of the images on the paper.

"What the crap is that?" Driscoll said as he squinted at the photo. He turned his wrist putting the paper at various angles to see the image in a different perspective.

"Looks like dirt to me," Gervase said leaning over to gape at the photo. "Yeah, see right there? It's dirt from the wall."

Driscoll rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I see that," he muttered with an annoyed tone. "I meant that!" he pointed at a different image on the paper. "What the frick is that?"

Jobgen looked up for the desktop. "Let me see it." Driscoll turned the photo around and Jobgen looked at it. "Oh, that," he said arching his eyebrows. He moved the photos around on the desk. "That would be the same as this," he remarked digging another image out from the bottom of the pile on the desk and handing it to Driscoll.

"And this," Mulder added handing him another.

"Which brings me back to my original question … what the crap is that?" Driscoll repeated more loudly this time.

"Well, I'm no expert," Gervase started with a shrug. "But it appears to be a man walking through the wall."

"Or more precisely, becoming part of the wall," Mulder said handing Driscoll another photo with a different angle.

"Excuse me?" Driscoll replied with perplexed expression on his face. He scanned the faces of Gervase, Jobgen and Mulder. _Geezus they aren't kidding_, Dris thought as he looked back at the photos. The still images captured a figure that appeared to be a large man. In two of the photos the man was walking down the tunnel, but several others captured images of him walking into the wall. _There is no fricken way this guy walked into the wall, _Driscoll thought as he pointed at the photo. "Are you sure that there wasn't some type of passage at this point?"

"Nope!" Jobgen replied handing Driscoll another photo. "Here's the wall after he disappeared."

Driscoll peered at the photo and found nothing remarkable about it. It looked like a normal wall, except that the dirt appeared moist, like water had been dripping on in. The photo also showed a pile of loose dirt at the base of the wall.

"What's this pile of dirt from?" Driscoll asked as he stared at the photo.

"Oh, that? That was what was left over when he …. bonded with the dirt," Jobgen responded matter-of-factly.

"Geezus crist!" Driscoll mumbled as he stared at the photo. _Mulder was right, this whole case is ridiculous, _he thought to himself as he tried to make sense of what they were saying. He set the photos down on the desk and picked up a copy of the case file. "Hey, the guy who's missing … Mike," Driscoll mumbled as he dug around in the case file. "What's his height and weight?"

"6'3, 240," Gervase replied putting photos on the desk.

"This … thing looks about that," Dris said pointing at the pictures.

"That and then some," Gervase said shaking his head. "But the missing guy, Mike, was my vet and I don't remember him being able to walk through walls before he disappeared."

"Well, maybe he was a warlock?" Jobgen joked shrugging his shoulders.

"What?" Dris questioned with a confused expression on his face. _Did he say warlock? Shit, Mulder is wearing off on these people! _he thought as he leveled his gaze on Officer Jobgen.

"Look, I know what you're thinking," Jobgen said walking around the desk. "But I was down in those tunnels with that … thing. I can assure you … that was no man."

"How do you know?" Mulder asked him quietly.

"It just wasn't. It didn't move like a man," Jobgen stammered. "It came out of nowhere. One minute the tunnel was empty and then next it was just standing there. The movement was weird. Like slow motion, but not," he paused a moment searching for the right words. "Like fast and clumsy."

Mulder nodding as Jobgen vocalized his observations. Bates had told a similar version of events, so despite what anyone wanted to believe, something besides Big Mike was living in the tunnels. Mulder picked up the photo showing the "man" walking into the wall and stared at it for a moment.

"Where exactly were you when took this?" Mulder asked mindlessly. He was slightly envious at Jobgen for witnessing the "man's" transformation.

"Right under your house," Jobgen replied flatly.

Mulder looked up at Jobgen without saying a word. _It's not just the monsters under the bed we should be afraid of, h_e thought as he scanned the expressions of the men in the room.

"Whew," Gervase remarked. His shoulders shuttered and he shook his head. "That sends chills up your spine."

Jobgen and Driscoll glanced at each other. "You scared of the dark or something?" Jobgen asked his partner.

"No!" Gervase said defensively. "I just get creeped out about things lurking where they don't belong. When I was little our cat used to hang out under my bed and attack my ankles when I least expected it." He shuddered again at the memory of it and then scanned the faces of the men in the room. "It scarred me for life," he mumbled sheepishly.

Driscoll chuckled and shook his head. "I can't talk … the house I grew up in was haunted," he remarked at he patted Gervase on the shoulder.

"Me either," Jobgen chimed in. "My older brother terrorized me with sandpaper. Now I can't stand the stuff. Just thinking about that gritty, sandy paper touching something makes me … ugh!" he replied making a face and shaking his shoulders.

"What about you Mulder?" Gervase asked looking over at the agent. "Anything scare you to the core?"

Mulder scanned the faces of the men before him. "Only two things…. one being when Scully is ticked off at me," Mulder replied flatly sticking his nose in the file he was holding. The second was fire and only his closest friends knew that, Driscoll included.

"And the second?" Gervase prompted.

Mulder was quiet for a moment and then looked at Driscoll over the edge of the file. "Ah… the second?" he stammered trying to think of something else to say. "British women," he finally coughed out.

"What?" Jobgen guffawed. "You're scared of British women?"

"Yeah, I … ah graduated from Oxford," Mulder shrugged nonchalantly. "I got in way over my head with a woman over there." He eyed Jobgen and Gervase as they stared at him. "I learned my lesson."

Gervase rolled his eyes and laughed. "Yeah, well, we've all learned our lesson with women. The British part is irrelevant."

Mulder sighed and shut the file. He sat down in the chair behind him and ran his hand across the bridge of his nose. "That's an understatement," he mumbled. He glanced at his watch and read the time as 7:15 a.m. He'd been awake for twenty four hours and it was starting to wear on him. There was no time for sleep now, he needed to come up with a plan to lure this thing back out from _under the bed. _

"Okay, where do we go from here?" Mulder asked the group trying to recalculate their options.

The three men took his lead and sat down. Jobgen in the lieutenant's chair, Gervase on the corner of the desk and Driscoll across from him in the opposite chair.

"That's easy," Jobgen began. "We need to draw this thing out again."

"But how?" Gervase asked. "Mulder wasn't the target last night."

"Whadya mean?" Driscoll asked not understanding the question.

"It materialized under Mulder's house, but attacked Bates next door. So obviously the neighbors were the target," Gervase explained.

"But they weren't home!" Driscoll spouted off.

"Yeah, but no one knew that," Gervase replied defensively. "Like Mulder said a couple of days ago, it's a pattern. One by one the association board is being picked off."

"Gervase is right," Mulder butted in. "We need to figure out a way to …"

"Make it come after you?" Driscoll blurted out. "I don't like the sound of that…especially knowing that a bullet doesn't stop it."

"You got a better idea?" Mulder asked him tilting his head to the side. "Look I don't exactly like the idea of being hunted by this thing … but it's the only way."

Driscoll shook his head and stood from the chair. He paced across the room to the wall. "Where exactly did this thing materialize?"

"In the tunnel section that runs between Shroeder's and Mulder's," Jobgen replied flatly.

Dris ran his hand over his face trying to visualize the scene in his head. "And you were in the tunnel that runs under the street?" He watched Jobgen nod wordlessly. "What's the trigger?"

"Gogolak" all three men answered in unison.

"Why do you think that?" Driscoll asked. He walked back to the desk to be part of their discussion. He knew exactly why they all thought that, but he was playing devil's advocate.

"It's a little ironic that he was in the neighbor's driveway and suddenly this thing appears out of nowhere in the tunnels," Gervase commented picking up a photo off the desk.

"That doesn't exactly finger him as the trigger," Driscoll argued.

"Not exactly," Mulder replied. "But he was in the tunnel yesterday when he made his get-away."

"Maybe we need to rig the tunnels with cameras tonight," Jobgen remarked.

"That's a great idea," Gervase said. "Too bad that going down there with a bunch of equipment would be really obvious."

"Not necessarily," Driscoll said slowly. "Remember, the Petries' are putting a reflecting pool in their front yard."

"And?" Gervase asked with a perplexed expression on his face.

"And I'm sure the city sewer department would want to make sure the drainage was okay before the contractor finished," Mulder replied looking from Driscoll to Gervase.

"Which opens our window to get into the sewer and the tunnel," Gervase finished off nodding his head. "I'll go talk to special teams and see what I can work up." He pushed off the desk and started for the door.

"I'll help," Jobgen replied standing up.

"No Jobgen," Mulder butted in. "You need to get some rest. I'll need you back in the tunnel tonight."

"Okay," Jobgen said as he passed by Mulder's chair. "But the same goes for you."

"He's right Mulder," Driscoll said. "Go get Scully and get some rest. I'll go with Nester to pick up Sams. It's better that Scully is out of it, that way she isn't linked to her brother and your cover is protected."

Mulder stood up and walked to the door. He was beat and now that the plan was laid out, he wasn't in the mood to argue.

* * *

Mulder stretched like a cat and curled around Scully's warm body. He nuzzled his nose into the crook of her neck and laid carefully placed kisses around her ear. His plan to wake her quietly worked its charm and he smiled as he watched her eyelids flutter open.

"Hmmm, Mulder," she purred as she stretched and rolled over to faced him. "What time is it?"

"Five," he whispered in her ear.

"Five in the what?" Scully said tracing her finger down his chest.

"In the afternoon," he replied, his voice husky and low. He pulled her chin up to meet his gaze and brushed his lips against hers.

It didn't take long for her to react to his touch. He found himself melting into her heat. Their tongues probed each other beyond their lips. He hadn't intended for this to happen when he chose the method to wake her, but he was happy to indulge her mood at this moment. It didn't take much convincing really as his organ was already demanding release from its prison.

He could sense Scully's arousal in her slow and deliberate actions. Her hand lingered on his chest and then made its way carefully down to his waist line. She fumbled with the button for less than a second and worked the zipper of his jeans down before he could stop her. He wanted so much to roll her over and take control of the motions, but he forced himself to hold back. He wanted this to be all Scully's doing. He was the aggressor in their love life far too often and tonight he wanted to Scully to play her cards.

It was all he could do to hold back however. She snaked her hand beneath his boxers and laced her fingers around his organ massaging gently. Mulder felt the pressure against their lips loosen and he rolled his eyes upward as his body was riddled with sensations. He fought to focus on her lips and tried to distract himself by running his hand across her chest to find her breast. He heard a soft gasp escape from her lips as he increased the pressure against her nipple.

The distraction lasted only a minute. As he felt Scully take a more firm hold of him, he moaned and rolled to lay flat on his back. He reached down and hooked the waist of his pants with his thumbs and then shimmied the stiff jean fabric down to his knees. Scully released him just long enough to push the trousers past his feet and off the bed to the floor. He struggled to sit up to remove his shirt and felt her gently tease the inside of his leg. The sensation rolled over him like a steam engine.

The hot moist environment of her mouth enveloped him into a misty haze of euphoria. The steady pressure of her tongue and her gentle teasing flicks tested his ability to maintain his control. He reached up and braced his arms against the headboard forcing himself to take slow breaths to contain his reaction to Scully's movement on him.

_God she is beautiful, _he thought when he finally opened his eyes and focused on her._ At the end of the day, it doesn't matter if she understands her feelings or even expresses them fully to me; the bottom line is I love this woman. _He ran his hand roughly through her red hair and down to the nap of her neck to pull her attention in a different way.

"Hey," he croaked out and swallowed hard, his voice sounding rough and hollow in his ear.

"Hey," Scully purred back at him. She adjusted her position and placed kisses across his stomach as she made her way to his face.

"Why am I the only one that is naked?" he asked her lazily.

"Because you haven't undressed me yet," she replied plainly brushing her lips against his cheek.

"Oh, that's how you want to play it?" he mumbled. He watched her arch her eyebrows and stare seductively at him. "Why don't you do it?" He tilted his head and looked up at her. "It'll be a turn on for me." _She's not going to go for that, _he thought to himself as he watched her carefully.

She surprised him. He watched in awe as she pushed herself up and knelt at his side. Her legs were spread apart in an inviting manner and he reached up to stroke the fabric near her mound. The area was hot and he could tell she was already wet. Mulder smiled as he watched her expression, her eyes rolling upward and a sigh escaping from her lips as he put pressure on her bud.

His actions halted her movement for a second, but Mulder didn't stop. He could see the conflicted expression on her face and watched as she bit her lip to focus. She moved her hands to her shirt and slowly began to unbutton her blouse. Her movement was calculated. Her eyes were locked with his in a hypnotic trace. Her breathing was shallow and her lips… her lips were full and inviting. He closed his eyes and imagined kissing those full lips, probing her hot mouth with his tongue, being drawn fully into her goodness with his body.

Mulder felt his resolve slipping away. When he couldn't stand it anymore, he broke the trace she held on him. He sat up and unhooked her bra in one swift movement. Once her breasts hung free against her skin, he pushed her down against the bed and untied her warm ups. He slid the cotton fabric down her legs and inched his way back to her waist covering her legs with gentle nibbles.

Mulder pushed one leg to her chest and opened the area by her mound fully. He teased her by rubbing the tip of his organ against her bud and chuckled mischievously when she wriggled below him to draw him in. But now was not the time for that, as he pulled back and nestled his head between her legs. He placed kisses over the delicate skin of her mound and put pressure on her bud with his tongue. He tasted her essence on his lips and licked at the entrance to her core to devour all of her goodness.

After a moment, Mulder couldn't stand it anymore. He needed to be inside of her, become one with her, and expose his inner emotion to her. He leaned back and drove himself into her core watching her expression as her body adjusted to his girth. The sensation of the tight muscles adapting to him and the molten lava of her core flooding over him just heightened his need to be deeper inside.

Their faces collided in a fury of hot wet kisses as the two partners became one. Mulder felt Scully wrap her arms around his torso and rake her fingernails down his back. He pressed his chest against hers and felt the sweat puddle and run between them. _I love this woman,_ he thought as he felt her muscles spasm beneath him. He thrust against her as she shuddered from her organism.

"Mulder," Scully gasped as her body trembled with emotions. "I luaewe," she whispered breathlessly. A low moan escaped her lips as she ran her fingers through his hair.

Mulder nuzzled his head in to the side of her neck and wrapped his arms around her waist and upper back. He stretched out the length of the bed and rolled over onto his back pulling Scully along with him. When he was settled with Scully above him, he ran his hands down the side of her back and rested them at her hips and the small of her back. He pushed her down on him, thrusting himself deeper into her core. Mulder smiled as she moaned at the friction. He held one hand at the small of her back and moved the other to cup her breast. As he orchestrated their union he squeezed her nipple with varying degrees of pressure, which elicited squeals from Scully's mouth. He felt Scully reach her apex and open herself to him again. _She's come at least four times and I haven't come once, _Mulder marveled at his stamina. _Either I'm a superhero... or I'm just getting old. _

Mulder didn't have to think about the answer for long. The pressure from the position teased Mulder gently and slowly overwhelmed him. He reached his apex just as Scully leaned over and pushed her breast into his mouth. He turned his head as he felt his release and gritted his teeth. The explosion wracked his whole being and he grabbed onto her torso to stop any movement. A moan escaped his lips and he closed his eyes as he put everything out there for her to take.

"I love this woman," Mulder mumbled aloud as exhaustion overcame him.

* * *

Scully lifted her head and took a second to allow her eyes to adjust to the darkness. _Why did I wake up? _she thought as she scanned the room. _Where's Mulder? _She looked over at the clock and stared at it in disbelief. _It's 9:30? I've slept all day. _Scully crawled out of the bed and headed in the bathroom to freshen up and get dressed.

Scully wandered around the house looking for Mulder with no luck. She checked in the garage and found his Jeep parked next to her van. _Where the heck is he? _she thought as she wandered mindlessly out the front door. She found Mulder crouched down in the hole in the front yard. _What the hell is he doing out there? _she thought as she stared at him from the front stoop. Finally the suspense got to her. She walked over to the hole and peered down at him.

"Mulder, the Klines' aren't down there," she called to him. She watched him stand upright and growl.

"Ugh," Mulder moaned as he leaned back to stretch out his aching muscles. He had been squatting the in the same position for over an hour. "Yeah," he gasped grimacing in pain. "I'm not finding any bone fragments down here."

Scully noticed he was holding some type of tool in his hand. "What's that?" she asked motioning at the item in his hand.

"This?" Mulder replied holding it up. It was a small gardening tool. "I found it in the garage."

"Our garage?" Scully asked him. _There isn't any gardening tools in our garage, not that I wouldn't like to plant some flowers around this cookie cutter landscape, _she thought as she arched her eyebrows at him.

Mulder smiled sheepishly. "No, the Vesch's garage," he replied with a shrug.

"Hmm hmmm," Scully said crossing her arms at her chest. "I think it's time you called it a night." She waiting a second for his reaction and then baiting his response. "I could rub the kinks out of your back, maybe take a whirlpool together."

He took the bait on her final offer. The prospect of spending more quality time with her was much for enticing than standing in that empty hole. "Hmmm, maybe pick up from where we left off earlier?" He looked up at her with a sly grin on his face.

"I think I could be persuaded," Scully replied with a smirk. She waited for him as he crawled out of the hole. While she was standing there, she noticed something sticking out from the bucket of the backhoe. Scully stepped around the hole to get a better look at it.

"What's wrong?" Mulder asked when he noticed the expression on her face.

"There's something sticking out of the bucket," she mumbled pointing above his head.

Mulder looked up and focused on the white whirligig hanging from the tooth of the bucket and pulled it down in his hand. He spun the broken fan blade and watched the man move up and down on the toy. "Tasteful isn't it?" he asked rhetorically. "Want me to fix it up and hang it from the porch?"

Scully made a face and arched her eyebrows. "Hardly," she remarked as she looked at the toy in his hand. "It's hideous. Not something I'd expect to see in this neighborhood."

"What're saying Scully? Are you insinuating that is item could be considered trailer park decor"

"Something like that," she sighed rubbing her upper arms slightly. There was a chill in the air and she felt her teeth begin to chatter.

Mulder turned the whirligig over in his hand and spotted the _Pier 9 Imports _sticker on the underside. "Gogolak," he mumbled aloud.

"Excuse me?"

Mulder stared at the whirligig and then looked up at Scully. "It's from Pier 9 Imports," he remarked. He handed the toy to Scully and climbed out of the hole.

"Well, that's convenient," Scully remarked as she looked at the sticker. "Guess that blows the landfill theory." She looked at Mulder for some confirmation and noticed he had that "look" in his eye … the look that told her he was way ahead of her in his thinking. "What?"

"Remember my theory that the Klines' were buried in the yard?"

"Yeah," Scully replied hesitantly.

Mulder took the whirligig from her hands. "What if this was the catalyst?"

Scully tilted her head in thought. "Are you saying that this hideous little …thing caused them to disappear?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying," Mulder confirmed.

"That's ridiculous Mulder," Scully argued for no other reason than the pure fact that she didn't want to believe it. "We don't know that much about the Klines. Maybe they had horrible taste in home décor."

Mulder laughed at Scully's argument. "Scully, if the Klines had poor taste, I think we would have seen it long before tonight. I think that Mr. Association president planted this thing here," he said holding the item up in his hand. "And it marked them for death."

Scully held his gaze for a moment trying to understand his hidden meaning. _If he starts up about that monster crap, I'm going to deck him_, she thought as she looked from him, to the whirligig to the hole in their front yard. Before she could answer he called to her from her thoughts.

"Hey, can you get a forensics team out here?"

"I guess," she mumbled. "It's going to blow our cover though."

"Well, I think its about time," Mulder said as he walked toward the garage and punched the keyless entry code into the pin pad. "We need to dig deeper."

"Okay," she replied as she followed him into the garage. "What're you going to do?"

"Price some rattan furniture."

* * *

Scully watched the yellow Jeep back out of the driveway and drive down the street. She closed the garage door and headed down the hallway toward the stairs. Mulder's decision to request the forensics team in the middle of the night and blow their covered troubled her. They barely had a lead in this case. _Well, except his loch nest monster theory, _she thought as she neared the top of the stairs. He had shown her the photos Jobgen had taken when they had gotten home from the hospital. It just seemed a little too out there for her to grasp. _A monster attacked Bates and me? _she mused walking into the bedroom. She walked over to the makeshift desk they had set up near the bathroom and shuffled through the case file to find the local bureau's phone number. Driscoll's theory that Big Mike was responsible for the neighborhood shenanigans was a lot more plausible.

As she looked for the phone number, she picked up the photos and stared at them blankly. The images of a man walking into the wall loomed in front of her as she paged through the multiple copies. She held them at different angles to see if there was a clue in the photo to what the figure was or who it resembled. Scully tilted her head in thought trying to picture Big Mike. _He was about that tall, _she thought turning the photo at an angle again. _Whatever, _she sighed and tossed the photos down on the desk. She picked up her cell phone and dialed the number of the local bureau office.

"This is special agent Dana Scully," she said into the phone as soon as the senior agent answered. "I need full forensic team to 450 Autumn Terrace."

"I don't have one on site tonight Agent Scully, I can notify them to head out there first thing in the morning."

"No, that's not going to work," she said flatly. "There have been some developments in our case. I need the team tonight."

"Well, I'll have to call the supervisor to approve the overtime," the senior agent droned on in the background. "Just a second."

Scully could hear the senior agent talking to someone in the background on the line. She paced nervously around the bedroom while she waited for him to come back to the phone. Second thoughts lingered in the back of her mind. _Mulder is wrong, _she thought as she pushed the door to the hallway closed. _I think its too early to blow our cover. _Scully walked to the doorway of the bathroom and stared into the mirror. She sighed heavily and thought back to their first day together in the house. Mulder had accused her of wanted to play house. _Maybe he was right. Maybe I'm not ready to go home. _Going home would mean going back to her apartment alone and not being able to sleep next to Mulder's warm body every night.

A loud bang from downstairs drew her from her thoughts. Just as she turned toward the sound, the senior agent began chatting to her in her ear.

"Agent, are you sure that you need the team tonight?" The agent asked in the background.

His voice was distant in her ear as she was focused on the sound of foot steps from the first level. The sound was … strange to her. It was a heavier than Mulder's or Driscoll's or even Nester's. _Didn't I lock the front door when I came in? _she thought frantically as she stared at the bedroom door.

"Agent?"

"Yeah, sorry. Yes, I need the team tonight," she mumbled into the phone.

"Alright then," the senior agent sighed into the phone. "Four Fifty Autumn Terrace? Okay, I'll need to get some additional information from you."

Another crash from downstairs startled Scully. She backed away from the door until she ran into the side of the desk. "I'm sorry," she said absent-mindedly into the phone. "Can I call you back?"

"Yeah, but do you want me to page forensics or wait?"

"Page them," Scully said as she walked over to the dresser to retrieve her gun. "I'll call you back in a few minutes." She ended the call and set the phone down on the desk. A third crash from the first floor echoed through the house and she pulled open the drawer where Mulder had hid her gun. She shuffled through her T-shirts and socks as she searched for the holster. The gun was not in the drawer. Scully looked back over at the door pushing the drawer closed. She opened Mulder's sock drawer and rifled through the clothing. Her fingers touched the hard leather holsters and she pulled both toward the front of the drawer. They came easily and she discovered why quickly … they were both empty.

The revelation took Scully by surprise and her breath caught in her throat. _Mulder must have it, _she thought quickly trying to retrace her steps from earlier that day. A heavy footfall reverberated from the stairwell and pure fright shook Scully to her core. _Maybe I looked in the wrong drawer, _she mused as she pulled another drawer open and felt around inside for her holster. The drawer was empty.

Scully turned around and pushed the drawer closed with her weight. The hallway was still. The only sound she could hear was her heartbeat pounding in her ear. She was trembling and out of breath for no good reason other than she let her mind play tricks on her. Scully took a deep breath and tried to steady her nerves. _There is nothing in the hallway, _she said to herself. When she felt she was ready she took a few steps closer to the doorway to listen for any sounds from the other side.

Scully felt the arms encase her body and tasted the cooper and dirt on her lips before she could even react to what was happening to her. In one split second she went from thinking it was her partner was playing a trick on her to realizing an intruder had trapped her in the house.. The smell from the body pressed against her was of heavy and reminded her of blood and dirt. She tried to scream, but her voice was stifled by the thick hand that covered her mouth. She struggled to push herself away from the body that trapped her, but she remained pinned against him.

"Its come for you Laura," a thick voice said from behind her. "Shhh. You can't make a sound."

The voice was familiar to Scully right away and she had a flashback to the night they moved in, Big Mike standing at the doorway apologizing for breaking their dishes. Scully forced herself from his grip and turned to face the man. Mike was covered in dirt and blood. His face was torn open with huge lacerations and his left eye was swollen shut. Mike was holding her gun in one hand and had his finger at his lips in the universal _shhh _sign.

"Mike!" Scully whispered trying to catch her breath. His appearance was appalling. "What happened to you?"

Mike physically moved Scully to the side and walked quickly to the door. He opened it a sliver, peering into the hallway and then shut it quickly. He turned back to look at her, "Shh, you need to get out of here," he said to her. His eyes darted around the room and then he started moving items in front of the door to block it.

Scully watched in awe as Mike effortlessly moved the armoire to block the door. The thing weighed a ton, but his strength was incredible. It took three men to move the armoire into the room a week ago and Mike had just pushed it in front of the door like it was as light as a feather. The mere thought of it frightened Scully. _Oh my god! He's the killer, _Scully thought as she watched he scamper around the room. She needed to regain control of the situation and quick.

"Why Mike? Why do I need to leave?" Scully asked trying to step in front of him to get his attention. "Who did this to you?" He continued to scavenge around the room for door blockers. Scully followed close behind and continued to badger him with questions. "Who's downstairs?"

"The Ubermencher!" Mike roared. "It's our fault," he continued to explain when he had adequately blocked the door. He turned and looked at her. "The original homeowners…. we asked for it and now we can't stop it."

Scully stared at the man in front of her and saw a crazed look in his eye. _Why is he blocking me in with him? _Scully thought as she tried to buy time for Mulder to return. "Stop what Mike?" she asked trying to make conversation.

Mike wasn't listening. "I tried to give it Shroeder. Tit for tat like Shroeder did for me," he rambled mindlessly.

Scully realized quickly that conversation wasn't going to work in his case and decided that it was time to reveal her real self to him. "Mike just settle down," she said in as calm as voice that she could muster. "Just give me my gun. I'm a federal agent." The words meant nothing to him. He continued to ramble as if she hadn't said anything.

"The Ubermencher wants you Laura," Mike said turning toward Scully again. "Your husband has broken way too many rules." He grabbed her by the shoulders and shoved her into the walk in closet. "I've been hiding it the sewer trying to protect you," he mumbled.

Scully tried to wiggle free from his grasp. "Give me my gun. Mike, just give me the gun," she protested as he pulled the door shut in front of her. She rattled the door handle and then jumped back as Mike shoved the dresser in front of it. She was trapped in the closet with a mad man welding her service revolver in her bedroom. "Mike! Let me out of here!" Scully yelled at him when she realized the door wasn't going to budge.

"Shhh, Laura, it's coming," Mike continued to babble with no regard to her words. He positioned himself in front of the closet door and leveled the gun in front of him. "I'll protect you, Laura. I won't let it hurt you. "

In seconds Scully heard the doors burst opened as if they were propelled by a large explosion. Wood splinters and shards of dry wall flew across the room as a heavy presence filled it. Through the slats on the closet door, Scully could see Mike standing his ground and then heard the sounds of gunfire in front of her. She counted the bullets as he unloaded the clip at point blank range. _Ten, eleven, twelve, _she mentally counted as she flinched from recoil of the gun. The heavy footsteps marched through the room and stopped directly in front of the door.

Mike's screams of agony as the monster threw his body against the closet door shuddered through Scully like a wicked winter wind. She watched in horror as his skull was crushed against the side of the door and blood splattered everywhere. She ducked into the depths of the closet hiding in the far corner pulling whatever cover she could find around her. _Where's Mulder! _she silently cursed as the attack in the outside room reverberated in her ear. _I lied to him again, _she thought as she contemplated her situation. _I saw this thing when it was attacking Bates and I told Mulder it was a man. _She was terror-stricken her ears zeroed in on the assault occurring just feet from her. Tears burning in her eyes and swallowed hard against the lump in her throat in feeble attempt to calm her nerves.

As quickly as the thunder had begun, silence fell over the room. Scully pulled her knees to her chest and flattened herself against the wall listening for any sound. The room was eerily quiet. The air was thick with the odor of gun powder, blood and rotten eggs. _Is it gone? _she wondered as she sat in the darkness. _Is Mike okay? _She strained her ears listening for any signs of life from the other room. Scully knew she should try to escape, but her fear paralyzed her. _What if that thing is still out there? Lurking in the bedroom looking for me … waiting for Mulder? _Her head was filled with irrational thoughts that she couldn't shake. _"It's come for you Laura because your husband has broken too many rules," "I've tried to protect you," _The words repeated in her head. _Who told it to come? _she wondered as she sat in the deafening silence. The only noise she could hear was her ragged breaths and her heartbeat pounding in her ear.

"Scully?"

Scully lifted her head from where she had rested it against her knees. _Was that Mulder? _she thought as slowed her breathing to quiet the static.

"Scully?"

The voice was louder now and she recognized it as her partner's. "Mulder?" she called back as she scrambled up to guide him to the closet door. "I'm in here!"

"Scully? Just a second," he gasped as he tried to pull the dresser from in front of the closet door. He grunted as he forced his weight against it, unable to budge it. "What happened here?"

"Mulder, it was here," she gasped as she tugged against the door knob. "Mike was here to protect me from it and it attacked him." She heard a popping noise and flinched against it. She looked at the door and realized that Mulder was breaking the slats off to get to her.

"Scully are you okay?" he muttered bewildered at her admission and the state of the room around him. He broke the final slat covering her face and reached in to touch her shoulder.

"Yeah," she whispered peering out into the room, seeing the ghastly site for herself. "Oh my god…. Mike? Is he okay?"

Mulder shook his head and looked around the room. "There's no one out here Scully," he replied.

"What?" she exclaimed. "Mulder he was here! He had my gun. He shot at that thing and then it attacked him."

Mulder surveyed the room again. The walls and the floor where covered with blood and muddy footprints. There were a dozen spent shell casings on the floor, but no sign of Mike or whatever it was that attacked him. He looked back at Scully and noted the expression on her face. "Here, let me help you out," he said extending his hand to her and half pulled half helped her out of the closet.

When Scully was safely on the other side of the door she looked around the room with a sudden expression on her face. "Mulder," she mumbled as she took it all in. "I wasn't truthful with you at the hospital about the attacker."

"No you didn't," he replied evenly.

Scully tilted her head. "How do you know?"

"Scully, you described exactly what you saw and whether you believed it was a man or not didn't matter," he assured her. "Bates described the same thing, as did Ben and Jobgen."

"Mulder, Mike said the original homeowners asked for that thing to come …" Scully began. She was interrupted by the distant sounds of screaming coming from the front yard.

"Gogolak," Mulder muttered as he ran to the top of the stairs. "He's outside."

Scully looked around the room for her service revolver before following her partner outside. She was less than a minute behind him, yet found him standing in the middle of a pile of dirt on the sidewalk. Gogolak was lying unconscious near the mail box. She ran past Mulder to Gogolak's side and felt for his pulse.

"He's dead," she called back to him.

"And so is the monster that rules this neighborhood," Mulder replied as he kicked the dirt off his shoes.

* * *

Assistant Director Skinner sighed and closed the case file on his desk. He leaned back in his chair and looked across the room at the two agents seated in front of him.

"Your report states the neighbors all implicated Gogolak as the person responsible for the disappearances and the deaths," Skinner began. "But there is no mention of the method in which he did it." Skinner paused for a moment waiting for either agent to answer. "Care to enlighten me Agents?"

Mulder and Scully shared a sideways glance at each other but neither spoke. Finally Scully coughed and looked back at AD Skinner. "We believe he had an accomplice sir," she answered.

"Is there some particular reason why that wasn't noted in your case notes?" Skinner asked with a perplexed expression on his face.

"Sir, Mr. Gogolak was killed before we had time to investigate that angle of the case," Mulder explained. "Our only suspect was also killed."

"By this Mr. Gogolak?"

"Not exactly," Scully replied. Mulder's voice rang loudly in her ear as he answered at the same time.

"More or less."

Skinner stared at the two of them. "Well which is it? Did or didn't Gogolak kill your suspect …. Mr. Mike…ah" Skinner fumbled with the case file looking for Big Mike's last name. "The veterinarian?"

"He died at the hands of Gogolak," Scully volunteered. "However, as the report states, we couldn't determine the exact method."

Skinner sighed again and stared down both agents over the top of his glasses. _Why do I even bother? Scully obviously wrote the report and the case notes since there isn't any reference to the loch nest monster in it, _he mused glancing down at the file in front of him. He picked the file up and stood from the desk.

"Well, I'm sure the two of you are glad to be home and back to living separately in your respective apartments," he said handing the file back to Mulder. "That will be all Agents. Dismissed."

Scully and Mulder stood and walked out of the room. They made their way to the elevator without muttering a word between them. Mulder pushed the call button and leaned up against the wall.

"So, is it true?" he asked her with a sly grin on his face.

"Is what true?"

"That you're happy to be home and back in your own apartment?" Mulder asked her quietly. The door of the elevator opened and both agents stepped in.

"Not exactly," Scully replied as the door slid shut and the car descended to the basement.

Then End.


End file.
